Should the views of a public official’s spouse matter to the citizens that official was elected to serve? This is the basic question raised by the case of Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell and wife Lesley’s prolific online commentary. But it is no longer the important one.

The important questions arising from the frequent – and frequently nasty – online missives that Lesley Haskell has lobbed have become much more specific: Can the public feel secure that this prosecutor will fairly handle cases upon which his wife has expressed strong, sharply worded views? Can individuals whom the prosecutor’s wife has mocked online expect a vigorous effort from the prosecutor’s office if they are victims of a crime? Could a victim of a hate crime feel secure in the knowledge that Haskell’s office would prosecute their case fully and fairly, despite the fact that Haskell’s wife has made racially ignorant pronouncements? What if Haskell’s wife says that the family members of a murder suspect being prosecuted by her husband are “evil, scum, wastes on society, and should be annihilated”?/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.

Thoughts?