Executive Ethics Board accepts multiple enforcement stipulations, including settlement tied to governor's travel

The Washington State Executive Ethics Board on May 8 accepted a series of enforcement stipulations and issued multiple reasonable-cause findings across personnel-ethics complaints.

Board staff reported that case 2025061 involving Governor Bob Ferguson had produced a settlement imposing a $4,000 civil penalty, with $2,000 suspended on condition that the governor comply with the stipulation's terms and commit no further violations of RCW 42.52 for two years. A board member recused from that vote; the stipulation was accepted by the board.

The board also accepted a proposed stipulation in case 2025-032 concerning a Department of Corrections employee. Staff described an internal DOC investigation and records showing 6,374 text messages and 20 phone calls with the employee's spouse over a one-year period, plus roughly 306 photo files (about 10 potentially personal). Board staff said they had reached agreement on a $2,500 civil penalty with $1,000 suspended, conditioned on compliance with the stipulation and no further violations for two years. The board voted to accept that stipulation.

Board staff additionally summarized a complaint involving a state attorney who emailed an elementary school principal and others from a personal account while identifying themselves by title; the staff report said the individual admitted sending a single email and regretted the action. Staff reported a resolution that the record describes as a monetary agreement (transcript references a $1,000 amount with $250 suspended in the settlement language). The board moved to accept the stipulation presented on that matter.

Beyond those stipulations, the board recorded multiple reasonable-cause determinations and dismissals across a long list of matters. On the record the board: found reasonable cause (and a potential penalty above $500) for cases including Luz Marina Takata (2024009) and Preston Reese (2024-035); dismissed others as unfounded, including William Fiehle (2024-016) and Strader (2024038); and set additional matters for follow-up or hearing as reflected in the meeting record. The board also corrected a statutory citation in a default order and approved a final order imposing a $3,000 penalty where the numeric and written amounts needed alignment.

Several motions passed by voice vote after members offered brief comments and technical edits; minutes and advisory-opinion approvals were completed earlier in the meeting before the board recessed into closed session for quasi-judicial deliberations. A member asked that standard footnotes or statutory citations be added to advisory materials where legislative definitions had changed.

The board reconvened on the record after a closed session and announced the accepted stipulations and case dispositions. Several motions noted compliance conditions (two-year no-violation periods) tied to suspended portions of civil penalties.

The board's actions on May 8 cover enforcement outcomes and do not create new statutes; they record settlements and findings under the Ethics in Public Service Act (RCW 42.52). The meeting adjourned at 11:13 a.m.