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Franklin County signs regional letter urging removal of two WDFW commissioners
Summary
The Franklin County Board unanimously approved joining a 15‑county Eastern Washington Council of Governments letter asking Gov. Bob Ferguson and AG Nick Brown to remove two Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife commissioners, citing multi‑year reviews alleging records noncompliance, serial meetings and undisclosed communications.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 12 to sign a regional letter asking Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown to remove two commissioners from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Brian Danzl, presenting the Eastern Washington Council of Governments' request, summarized three separate reviews and a third‑party investigation that, he said, documented repeated failures to comply with public‑records obligations, coordination of votes through private communications, and undisclosed communications with outside advocacy groups. "Immediate removal by the governor is a necessary step to restore accountability, transparency, and public confidence," Danzl said.
Danzl and Wes McCart, planning director for the regional council, cited a December 2024 Ruckelshaus Center report, a May 2025 internal memo by a county legal liaison, and a July 2026 Transformative Workplace Investigations report as backing for the request. The board’s motion to sign and send the letter was moved by a commissioner and carried unanimously.
The letter asks executive‑branch leaders to act after what the presenters described as persistent governance failures. The county did not adopt any additional punitive measures at the meeting; commissioners authorized county signatures and transmission of the letter.
