King County audit: paper records and unclear notices limit transparency of civil asset forfeiture program

The King County Auditor27s Office told the Government Accountability and Oversight Committee on Feb. 11 that since 2017 the Sheriff27s Office has seized roughly $9 million in cash and dozens of vehicles and houses under civil asset forfeiture authority, and that the office27s paper-centric record keeping prevents reliable, timely oversight.

Auditor Brooke Leary and audit manager Peter Hynexis presented the report to the committee and said the audit found no evidence that deputies were seizing property outside the documented process. But they said the combination of voluminous paper casefiles and incomplete or inconsistent electronic logs makes it difficult to determine totals, track case status, or assess how often seizures are contested or resolved.

The report noted about 275 forfeiture cases between 2017 and 2023 and estimated total cash seized at roughly $9,400,000, but said gaps make a precise total uncertain and put a likely range between about $9 million and $9.8 million. The auditors estimated about 120 cars seized (43 returned, 26 forfeited, 51 with no status in electronic logs) and 41 houses flagged as seized,…