Sterk: Sheriff’s Brass ‘Bought’ Jobs Gop Candidate For Spokane County Sheriff Says Promotions Followed Campaign Donations

(From For the Record, February 18, 1998): Sheriff’s race correction: The Spokane County Deputy Sheriffs Association has not endorsed a candidate for sheriff, as stated in a Monday article.

The Republican candidate for Spokane County sheriff contends top deputies were promoted or kept their appointed slots because they gave money to the current sheriff.

State Rep. Mark Sterk said last week that top brass in the sheriff’s department “bought their positions” with contributions to incumbent John Goldman. It’s a practice that dates to past administrations, Sterk said.

Goldman, his predecessor Larry Erickson and their current and former top deputies all say that’s not true.

Although senior officers did give to campaigns - in Goldman’s case, some gave several thousand dollars - there was never any quid pro quo, all said.

“This is a smear,” said Goldman, a Democrat who has said he will not seek re-election. “It not only didn’t happen, it was never considered. It never crossed my mind.”

Getting promoted probably has more to do with getting along with the sheriff than giving money to his campaign, say former top officers and current deputies.

Sterk, a Spokane city police sergeant, points to the records of campaign contributions from the 1994 race between himself and Goldman to build his case.

Those records show that Goldman received $5,000 from Inspector Burel Schulz, who was later appointed undersheriff; $4,110 from Capt. Jim Hill, the jail commander; $3,260 from Undersheriff Mike Aubrey; and $900 from Lt. Mike Myhre, who was later named inspector.

“In past administrations, people have paid money to the candidate - large amounts of money,” Sterk said.

“When you get up to a couple thousand dollars and above that, and help pay back campaign debts … it’s almost trading an office for a contribution.”

Asked about past administrations, Sterk concedes he has only departmental rumor to back up any criticism of Larry Erickson, the four-term incumbent who retired in 1994; or William Reilly, who held the post for 21 years before Erickson.

In Spokane County, the civil service system decides which deputies rise through the ranks to lieutenant. The sheriff appoints captains, inspectors and undersheriffs.

After his first election in 1978, Erickson had only nominal opposition in 1982 and ran unopposed the next two times.

Erickson, a Democrat, raised only a few thousand dollars for his last two campaigns, records show. His top deputies were regular contributors.

“They did that of their own free will,” said Erickson, who now heads the state Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. “I never asked them for any money at all.”

Ron Dashiell, a former undersheriff, agreed.

“I contributed to Sheriff Erickson’s campaigns because he was my colleague and friend,” said Dashiell, who is now the U.S. marshal for Eastern Washington.

Don Manning, who was promoted to captain by Reilly and kept that position throughout Erickson’s tenure, also said he was never asked to contribute to the campaign - although he believes top officers understood that such donations were “expected.” He gave a total of $400 to Erickson’s campaign fund during his final term.

“There was never any threat to me, never any arm-twisting,” said Manning.

When Erickson announced he was not seeking re-election, he gave refunds to the staff members who had contributed to his campaign.

Some who were supporting Goldman, including Dashiell, gave that money to the new candidate. Others, like Manning, didn’t. Both agreed that there was never any pressure to make a donation to Goldman.

The 1994 race featured Goldman, Sterk and former Pend Oreille County Sheriff Tony Bamonte. Goldman represented a continuation of the current administration; Sterk and Bamonte promised major changes.

The department’s top officials contributed to Goldman and worked on his campaign.

Undersheriff Mike Aubrey said that’s only logical because Goldman was going to continue the type of work they had all been doing. They agreed to help Goldman carry the financial burden of the campaign.

“None of us had any experience in fund-raising,” Aubrey said.

Goldman beat Bamonte in the primary, and Sterk in the general election. But he used about $20,000 of his and his wife’s money.

“We did it as a loan, hoping we would be able to pay the loan back with contributions,” he said.

Unlike state races, which have strict contribution limits, there are no limits for local offices. Winning candidates often pay off loans after the campaign with corporate contributions.

In Goldman’s case, however, those contributions didn’t come in.

At the end of 1994, sheriff’s Capt. Jim Hill, whose wife, Pam, had served as campaign treasurer, told the other appointed deputies that Goldman and his wife still owed money.

“Several of us said, ‘He’s taken the lion’s share of the burden,’ and decided to help out,” Aubrey said.

Aubrey, Hill and Myhre began contributing, weekly or monthly, to Goldman’s campaign fund. Aubrey gave $1,400, Hill $2,200 and Myhre $565 after the election.

In the fall of 1995, Goldman said he told them to stop, and wrote off the remainder of the debt as a personal campaign contribution.

Aubrey said there was never any suggestion that he should give money before or after the election to keep his job.

“I’ve never, in 25 years, had that implied,” he said.

Goldman said he kept and appointed “the best and brightest people available.” All had worked their way up through the ranks, had strong educational and law enforcement backgrounds and shared his philosophy on running the department, he said. He kept Manning in his spot even though he never contributed to the campaign. He appointed Doug Silver as a captain, even though Silver gave a minimal amount.

Goldman said he didn’t even know if Silver contributed. Campaign records show he gave $100, less than several other members of the department.

Manning agreed he kept his spot with Erickson and Goldman even though he’s a Republican and they are both Democrats. His 30 years with the department convinced him that advancement “had to do with schmoozing,” not donating.

People who got along with the sheriff, whether it was Goldman or his predecessors, had a better chance of advancing, he said.

Jerry Brady, the president of the deputies union, agreed with Manning’s assessment. Promotion is mostly a “good-ol’-boy concept,” he contends.

The union and the department are involved in a protracted labor dispute. Brady and Aubrey have argued over several key points, but the union leader said he doesn’t question Aubrey’s capabilities.

The contributions, however, raise questions about whether a sheriff would ever overrule the decision of a subordinate who contributed heavily to his campaign, Brady said.

“I would like to think if someone were not doing the job, you would remove him,” Brady said. “There’s a potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Goldman said there is no conflict of interest. He stands behind his administrators, even though they are not popular with the union, which has endorsed Sterk.

To avoid the appearance of any conflicts, Sterk has said he will only accept minimal contributions from members of the department. At this point, no one from the department has given him more than $35.

Goldman accused Sterk of grandstanding, noting that he accepted contributions from political action committees for his legislative races.

“You can’t run a campaign without money from somewhere,” he said.

If Sterk is really concerned about big contributions in sheriff’s races, he could address it with legislation, Goldman noted.

Sterk, who represents the Spokane Valley in the state House, said such a law might be a good idea.

But if such a law is proposed, it won’t come from Sterk. The Legislature is past the point of considering new bills, and Sterk is giving up his House seat later this year to concentrate on his run for sheriff.

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