Board finds reasonable cause Ferguson violated ethics law

A state ethics watchdog has found reasonable cause” to believe Gov. Bob Ferguson violated state ethics law by bringing his former top aide onto a state plane last year.

The Washington State Executive Ethics Board voted Friday to accept the findings of a staff investigation that found Ferguson illegally “provided a special privilege” to Mike Webb, his longtime former top aide, “by allowing them passage on a state aircraft.”

State law generally prohibits the use of state resources for private gain.

Webb, the governor’s former chief strategy officer and longtime political adviser, resigned in March amid allegations, which he denied, that he created a hostile workplace environment for some women in the governor’s office.

Ferguson has remained in contact with Webb, whom he has described as a longtime friend and adviser, and he invited him to travel last June with him on a State Patrol plane during an official visit to the Tri-Cities.

At the time, Webb was no longer a state employee but had been hired by the law firm Singleton Schreiber to help push for a compensation fund for victims of wildfires in Washington and Oregon.

Ferguson apologized to his staff in a tense Zoom call, saying his decision to invite Webb on the plane was “pretty stupid.” Audio of the call was leaked to The Seattle Times, spotlighting turmoil early in the new governor’s administration.

Brionna Aho, a spokesperson for the governor, said Ferguson’s office had been notified of the ethics finding but had no immediate comment Friday.

Ferguson, who did not immediately respond to a text message request for comment, had asked the ethics board to dismiss the complaint, arguing Webb’s presence on the plane did not displace any state employee because the flight was not full.

“It did not create additional cost in terms of fuel, staffing, or time. The state incurred no financial burden or misuse of taxpayer resources,” Ferguson argued in a written response to the complaint.

Even if the board disagreed, Ferguson argued any improper use was “de minimis” and did not merit an ethics finding.

“I remain committed to upholding the highest ethical standards,” the governor wrote in his response.

The ethics board, which voted to advance the case after a closed-door executive session, disagreed and instead aligned with the recommendation of Kate Reynolds, the board’s executive director.

A potential fine in the case has yet to be determined, but the ethics board findings noted the penalty “may be over $500.”

The vote Friday means the case against Ferguson will be scheduled for an enforcement hearing, where the ethics board staff will present its evidence and the governor can mount a defense, according to an online summary of its procedures.

The five-member ethics board will then decide whether a violation occurred and can impose a financial penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, plus restitution and other costs.

The ethics complaint against Ferguson was filed last year by Rebecca Faust, a Tumwater resident, based on media accounts of the Webb plane trip.

“Gov. Bob Ferguson allowed a private citizen, (Webb) to travel on a publicly-owned plane as a personal favor, Faust wrote in her complaint, alleging the incident violated state law.

Webb, who previously told The Times he’d be willing to reimburse the state for the costs of the flight, did not respond immediately to a phone message seeking comment.