Every case, every receipt.
Jump to a government body, follow the money, or pick a severity. Every row links to the documents the case is anchored to.
Sound Transit
4 cases-
Sound Transit ST3 program-wide cost shortfall — $22–34.5B over 2016 finance plan, formal program reset announced
In August 2025, Sound Transit released new "bottom-up" cost estimates for the major construction projects in Sound Transit's third mass-transit package (ST3), the regional transit expansion voters approved in 2016. The revised numbers…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
Sound Transit West Seattle Link Extension — cost growth from $2.7B (2016) to $4.9–5.3B (2025 dollars)
When voters approved Sound Transit's third mass-transit package (ST3) in 2016, the West Seattle Link Extension was projected to cost approximately $2.7 billion. The estimate grew steadily through 2024 and 2025.
Documented Structural failure -
Dow Constantine appointed Sound Transit CEO by board he largely controls
On March 24, 2025, Sound Transit's board named then-King County Executive Dow Constantine as its preferred CEO candidate. He was formally appointed on March 27, 2025. Constantine had served on the Sound Transit board for 16 years in his…
Documented Conflict of interestStructural failure -
Constantine Sound Transit CEO selection ethics complaint — dismissed by King County Ombuds
In February 2025, reporting confirmed that then-King County Executive Dow Constantine was a candidate for Sound Transit's CEO position. As King County Executive, Constantine had appointed approximately 10 of the 18 Sound Transit board…
Documented Conflict of interestRule gaming
Washington State
41 cases-
OSPI school funding apportionment system — SAO performance audit finds $30B-per-biennium system at 'high risk for catastrophic failure'
The Washington State Auditor's Office released a performance audit of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's school funding apportionment system on May 19, 2026. The apportionment system is the mechanism through which OSPI…
Documented Structural failure -
$500M+ in state agency tort payouts over 2 years — Gildon report documents 151 DCYF payouts over $1M, 14 DSHS, 9 DOC, 3 WSP
This is an aggregate pattern case, not a single lawsuit or settlement. It documents Sen. Gildon's January 2025 compilation of state agency tort payouts drawn from Office of Risk Management data, released to support SB 5144, which would…
Documented aggregate_liability_pattern -
One Washington ERP — SAO finds $465M+ statewide financial system project lacks contingency plan, schedule risks ahead of July 2025 launch
Washington State's core financial management system, known as AFRS (Agency Financial Reporting System), was built on 1960s-era technology. Governor Inslee requested funding for replacement in 2013. The state created the One Washington…
Documented Structural failure -
DCYF child care subsidy system — 4-year audit gap, FY2024 $413M disclaimer opinion, FY2025 $37M questioned payments
The Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) FY2024 Single Audit, released in March 2025, issued a disclaimer opinion on DCYF's Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) program — meaning auditors could not form any opinion whatsoever on…
Documented Structural failure -
Trueblood v. DSHS — federal court issues third contempt order, $100M in fines for decade of unconstitutional competency-services delays
A.B. by and through Trueblood et al. v. Washington State DSHS is a federal class action filed in 2014 on behalf of people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities who were held in Washington jails awaiting court-ordered competency…
civil_rights_harm -
Commerce Digital Navigator Program — SAO performance audit finds $92.5M program with $10.7M to single contractor without documentation; executives bypassed state procurement rules
The Digital Navigator Program was established by the Washington State Department of Commerce to expand equitable access to online services, primarily for populations including recent immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, seniors,…
Documented Misuse of public resourcesStructural failure -
Commerce COVID relief — SAO single audit identifies 12 findings, $75M in questioned costs on rental assistance and utility payments
The Washington State Auditor's Office released its FY2023 Statewide Single Audit on June 6, 2024. The audit covered Washington State's use of federal funds across multiple programs and produced 86 findings — the highest number in recent…
Documented Structural failure -
L&I workers' compensation IT modernization — $31M spent over 10 years, $292M current estimate, not delivered
The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) launched a project in 2015 to modernize its workers' compensation computer system. As of April 2025, the agency had spent approximately $31 million over a decade with nothing delivered.
Reported · no finding yet Structural failure -
DD Ombuds SFY2024-2025 Annual Reports — END HARM abuse line non-functional; 75 people stuck in hospitals 60+ days; $9M residential abuse settlement
The Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds (DD Ombuds) publishes annual reports to the Legislature documenting systemic findings and complaint patterns across DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) programs. The SFY2024…
Documented civil_rights_harmStructural failure -
Special Commitment Center brown water class action — DSHS pays $7.325M to ~200 McNeil Island residents over contaminated drinking water
Residents of the Special Commitment Center (SCC) — the state's facility for sexually violent predators who have completed criminal sentences but whom courts have civilly committed as too dangerous to release — filed a federal lawsuit in…
civil_rights_harmStructural failure -
Ferguson PDC surplus-funds transfer — complaint dismissed, rule subsequently amended
In 2023, then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson transferred approximately $1.2 million in surplus funds from his prior AG campaign accounts into his newly launched gubernatorial campaign. The transfer was done under existing Washington State…
Documented Rule gaming -
N.D. v. Reykdal — federal court approves settlement on OSPI's IDEA age-out violations; compensatory education for class
In November 2022, class representatives N.D. and E.A. — disabled students who had been exited from Washington special-education programs before turning 22 — filed a class-action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District…
civil_rights_harmstatutory_noncompliance -
OCO director Jeremiah Bourgeois fired by Governor Ferguson — concurrent with DOJ CRIPA opening and multiple OCO staff departures
### Timeline of documented events
Documented Structural failurecivil_rights_harm -
Criminal Justice Training Commission — SAO performance audit finds 84%+ of WA officers out of compliance with mandatory de-escalation training
Washington's Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA) — rooted in voter-approved Initiative 940 (2018) and strengthened by the 2021 Community Safety Act — requires the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission…
Documented statutory_noncomplianceStructural failure -
Washington DOL License Express backdoor — 2018-2025 vulnerability; 1,000+ identity thefts before fix; breach notification law alleged violated
Washington DOL's License Express is the online portal used by Washington residents to renew driver's licenses, manage accounts, and access licensing services. The system handles highly sensitive data including Social Security numbers,…
Documented Structural failure -
Oakley Carlson DCYF child fatality review — mandatory statutory review for high-profile presumed-deceased child
Oakley Carlson was born in 2016 and came into contact with the child welfare system through a series of referrals predating her birth — reports of concerns about her parents' drug use and domestic violence. Over approximately eight years,…
Documented civil_rights_harmStructural failure -
DOH hospital oversight — JLARC finds 72% of inspections late, mandatory adverse-event reviews not done since 2011
In 2022, the Legislature directed JLARC to evaluate DOH's oversight of hospital inspections, patient complaints, and data reporting. JLARC published a preliminary report in May 2025 and approved the final report (25-06) at its July 16,…
Documented Structural failurestatutory_noncompliance -
OFCO Critical Incident Reports — DCYF child fatalities and near-fatalities 2024-2025; 92 H1 2025 incidents vs. 36 reported by DCYF
OFCO publishes an annual Critical Incident Report documenting child fatalities and near-fatalities reviewed during the prior calendar year. These reports are the primary independent tracking mechanism for child deaths connected to the…
Documented civil_rights_harmStructural failure -
HHS OIG — Washington adult family home oversight; 17 of 20 homes failed health and safety standards; COVID inspection suspension unremediated up to 3 years
Adult family homes (AFHs) are small licensed long-term care settings — typically serving 2 to 6 residents in private residences — that provide personal care and supportive services to elderly individuals and adults with physical or…
Documented Structural failurecivil_rights_harm -
OFCO 2024 Annual Report — 39 formal adverse findings against DCYF; 2,623 placement disruptions documented
OFCO is the independent ombuds office responsible for investigating complaints about DCYF services and issuing formal adverse findings when the agency's actions fall short of legal or policy requirements. The 2024 Annual Report documents…
Documented Structural failurecivil_rights_harm -
OCO Solitary Confinement Parts I & II — WA prisoners in segregation suicide at 33x national average; 400-page legislative report
The Washington Legislature directed the Office of the Corrections Ombuds to conduct a comprehensive investigation of solitary confinement in state prisons following the 2021 passage of HB 1090, which established a statutory requirement for…
Documented civil_rights_harmStructural failure -
DOJ CRIPA investigation — federal Civil Rights Division opens Eighth Amendment investigation of Washington Corrections Center for Women
On May 19, 2026, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division sent a formal CRIPA notice letter to Governor Bob Ferguson. The letter stated that the Department of Justice is…
Documented civil_rights_harm -
OCO WCCW Use-of-Force Investigation — June 2025; OC spray misuse and medical screening failures at women's prison
Following a complaint from a prisoner about the treatment of people in WCCW's restrictive housing unit, the OCO conducted an investigation involving review of emails, medical records, and video footage, and multiple on-site visits over…
Documented civil_rights_harm -
Puget Sound ESD — SAO conflict-of-interest matters communicated to management (SAO Report #1036582)
The State Auditor's Office (SAO) published Accountability Audit Report #1036582 for the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) on February 6, 2025, covering the period from September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023.
Documented Conflict of interest -
OCO FY2024 Unexpected Fatality Review — 26 unexpected prisoner deaths, 13 without corrective action plans
Under RCW 72.09.770, DOC is required to conduct an Unexpected Fatality Review (UFR) for each death in custody that is unexpected. The UFR process involves representatives from DOC, the OCO, and the Department of Health, who review the…
Documented civil_rights_harm -
Ferguson PDC commissioner vacancies — statutory 30-day deadline missed, recall filed, vacancies filled, recall ended
Washington's Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) — the state agency that enforces campaign finance rules — had two open commissioner seats as of early 2026. One seat had been vacant since January 2025, nearly all of Governor Bob Ferguson's…
Reported · no finding yet Structural failure -
LEB Case 25-38 — Rep. Tarra Simmons, alleged special privileges
The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) issued Opinion 25-38 on May 3, 2026, concerning a complaint against Rep. Tarra Simmons. The complaint is alleged to involve the use of surplus campaign funds; a formal LEB opinion on this date indicates…
Alleged · not adjudicated Special privileges -
LEB Case 25-37 — Rep. Lisa Parshley, alleged conflict of interest
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. Lisa Parshley alleging a conflict of interest. The complaint was reviewed by the Washington State Legislative Ethics Board (LEB), which issued Opinion 25-37 on December 15, 2025.
Alleged · not adjudicated Conflict of interest -
LEB Case 25-09 — Speaker Jinkins and others, alleged use of public resources for private gain
The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) docket lists Case 25-09 as filed October 27, 2025, naming House Speaker Laurie Jinkins and additional respondents. The alleged conduct is described as "Campaign and use of public resources for Private…
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resourcesRule gaming -
LEB Case 25-10 — Troyer, Wirtz, Handy & Wold, alleged campaign use of public resources for private gain
A complaint was filed against four respondents identified in the Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) docket as Troyer, Wirtz, Handy, and Wold. The alleged conduct is described as "Campaign and use of public resources for Private Gain." The LEB…
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 25-02 — Rep. Michelle Caldier, alleged special privileges
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. Michelle Caldier alleging she received special privileges. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 25-02 on May 22, 2025.
Alleged · not adjudicated Special privileges -
LEB Case 25-11 — Emily Alvarado, alleged conflict of interest with outside employment
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. Emily Alvarado alleging a conflict of interest related to outside employment. The complaint was reviewed by the Washington State Legislative Ethics Board (LEB), which issued Opinion 25-11…
Alleged · not adjudicated Conflict of interest -
LEB Case 25-03 — House Democratic Caucus, alleged blocking of user from official social media
A complaint was filed against the Washington State House Democratic Caucus alleging it blocked a user from an official caucus social media account. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 25-03 on April…
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 25-04 — Rep. Janice Zahn, alleged conflict of interest — outside employment
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. Janice Zahn alleging a conflict of interest related to outside employment. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 25-04 on April 10, 2025.
Alleged · not adjudicated Conflict of interest -
LEB Case 25-06 — Rep. Amy Walen, alleged conflict of interest — outside employment
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. Amy Walen alleging a conflict of interest related to outside employment. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 25-06 on April 10, 2025.
Alleged · not adjudicated Conflict of interest -
LEB Case 25-01 — Rep. David Hackney, alleged conflict of interest
A complaint was filed against Washington State Rep. David Hackney alleging a conflict of interest. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 25-01 on March 4, 2025 — the first LEB opinion issued in 2025.
Alleged · not adjudicated Conflict of interest -
LEB Case 24-11 — Sen. Jeff Wilson, alleged failure to respond to public records request for text messages on official phone
A complaint was filed against Washington State Sen. Jeff Wilson alleging failure to respond to a public disclosure request for text messages sent or received on his official legislative phone. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed…
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 24-10 — Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, alleged altering of official website during election season
A complaint was filed against Washington State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau alleging that her official legislative website was altered during election season. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 24-10.
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 24-09 — Sen. Manka Dhingra, alleged incorrect information on legislator's official website
A complaint was filed against Washington State Sen. Manka Dhingra alleging that her official legislative website contained incorrect information. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 24-09.
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 24-06 — Sen. Mark Mullet, alleged use of public resources for campaign purposes
A complaint was filed against then-Washington State Sen. Mark Mullet alleging use of public resources for campaign purposes. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 24-06 on June 4, 2024.
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources -
LEB Case 24-01 — Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, alleged use of public resources for private gain
A complaint was filed against Washington State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña alleging use of public resources for private gain. The Legislative Ethics Board (LEB) reviewed the complaint and issued Opinion 24-01.
Alleged · not adjudicated Misuse of public resources
King County
7 cases-
DCHS contract oversight failure — $1.8B+ program, ~1% of spending reviewed
The King County Auditor published a review of King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) contracting program in August 2025. The findings:
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
King County Health Through Housing — $297.8M capital program, ~$273K-$286K per unit
King County launched the Health Through Housing program in 2021, funded by a 0.1% county sales tax and a $400 million bonding package. The 2021 Implementation Plan budgeted $297.8 million in capital spending through 2028. The county…
Documented Structural failure -
King County Ombuds forensic review of DCHS youth program contracts — Clark Nuber finds ~$690K in questionable costs, referrals to State Auditor and law enforcement
This case is the public-facing escalation of the August 2025 DCHS systemic audit (KC-2025-001). The sequence of events:
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resourcesRule gaming -
King County DCHS program manager Yolanda McGhee — $813K in grants routed to five relatives over five years
Yolanda McGhee managed the "Liberated Village" program — formally, the Liberation and Healing from Systemic Racism initiative — inside King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). The program distributed over $10…
Reported · no finding yet Conflict of interestSpecial privilegesRule gaming -
King County Ombuds finds PHSKC program manager Willard Jimerson violated Ethics Code — undisclosed financial ties to Freedom Project subcontractor on gun violence grant
Willard Jimerson was hired by Seattle-King County Public Health on March 9, 2020, as a Term Limited Temporary (TLT) Project/Program Manager III. He worked on the Zero Youth Detention (ZYD) initiative and was involved in the Regional…
Documented Conflict of interestMisuse of public resources -
King County Council pushes to establish independent Inspector General — reform proposal
On March 25, 2026, King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn (R), Rod Dembowski (D), and Sarah Perry (D) issued a joint letter to the King County Executive announcing their intent to draft legislation creating a King County Office of…
Documented Structural failure -
King County Ombudsman takes over DCHS contractor investigation — 19 organizations flagged
Following the King County Auditor's 2025 review of DCHS contracting, 19 contractor organizations were flagged for financial irregularities described as "dubious expenses."
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources
Seattle Public Schools
7 cases-
Seattle Public Schools — $100M structural deficit, $27.5M interfund loan without Finance/Audit Committee oversight (board had dissolved it)
Seattle Public Schools entered the 2024-25 school year with serious financial problems. In the prior year (2023-24), the district drew down approximately $42 million from its reserves. In 2024-25, it authorized a $27.5 million interfund…
Documented Structural failure -
Seattle Public Schools — $16M settlement over Garfield High School coach sexual abuse
On October 31, 2024, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced a $16 million civil settlement with a former Garfield High School student who alleged she was sexually abused over several years by two coaches in the school's athletic program.…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
Seattle Public Schools — Emergency Connectivity Fund $4.9M questioned costs, multi-year 'Not Corrected'
The Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) reported in its 2023-24 audit (SAO Report #1037358, published May 22, 2025) that $4,912,945 in questioned costs related to Seattle Public Schools' use of federal Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF)…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
Seattle Public Schools — Paid Lunch Equity significant deficiency, $3.1M potential nonfederal contribution (SAO Finding 2024-001)
The Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) published its Financial Statement and Single Audit Report for Seattle Public Schools (Report #1037358) on May 22, 2025. Finding 2024-001 documented noncompliance with federal Paid Lunch Equity…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
Seattle Public Schools — $125K settlement over Garfield swim team hazing and First Amendment retaliation
Alex Thornewell, a former Garfield High School varsity swim team member with autism, received a $125,000 settlement from Seattle Public Schools (SPS) in May 2024 (King County Superior Court Case No. 22-2-10907-6 SEA). His lawsuit alleged…
Documented Structural failureSpecial privileges -
Seattle Public Schools — Nathan Hale antisemitism lawsuit, state and federal filings
The parents of a former Nathan Hale High School freshman, identified in court filings by the initials M.K.L., filed a civil complaint in King County Superior Court in June 2025. After voluntarily dismissing the state case, they refiled in…
Documented Structural failure -
Seattle Public Schools — WA AG civil rights lawsuit over pregnancy and lactation accommodations
On April 15, 2025, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown's office filed a civil rights lawsuit in King County Superior Court against Seattle Public Schools (SPS). The complaint alleges the district systematically failed to provide…
Documented Structural failure
KCRHA
1 cases-
KCRHA forensic audit — $13M unaccounted, $44.7M negative cash position
The City of Seattle and King County jointly commissioned an outside forensic review of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) in August 2025. The accounting firm Clark Nuber P.S. conducted the review, which was released…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources
City of Seattle
6 cases-
Seattle gun violence governance — audit finds City lacks systematic reporting, CARE integration mandate unstarted, $1.5M+/yr RPKC funding without evaluation
In 2024, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Council President Sara Nelson jointly asked the Seattle Office of City Auditor to examine current gun violence patterns. The auditor, David G. Jones, published the report on March 25, 2025. It identified…
Documented Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
SPD overtime overspending — $5.5M projected deficit on $53M overtime budget, mid-year corrective restrictions
PubliCola published an internal Seattle Police Department (SPD) memo dated November 18, 2025, on December 1, 2025. The memo projected that SPD would exceed its 2025 overtime budget by approximately $5.5 million if typical overtime…
Reported · no finding yet Structural failureMisuse of public resources -
SPD Chief Adrian Diaz — fired after OIG investigation found dishonesty, undisclosed relationship, hiring violations
In May 2024, Mayor Bruce Harrell removed Adrian Diaz as Seattle Police Department (SPD) Chief amid mounting reports of harassment, retaliation, and management dysfunction. Rather than being terminated, Diaz was moved to a "special…
Documented Conflict of interestSpecial privilegesStructural failure -
Seattle SAO accountability audit — competitive procurement and emergency exemption noncompliance flagged
The Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) published its Accountability Audit Report on the City of Seattle on March 23, 2026, covering the fiscal year July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Auditors reviewed areas with the highest risk of…
Documented Structural failure -
Harrell TikTok account SEEC complaint — dismissed by Executive Director, affirmed unanimously on appeal
In August 2025, the Mayor's Office launched a new official City of Seattle TikTok account in the weeks immediately before the August primary election, in which Mayor Bruce Harrell was a candidate. Seattle resident Paul Chapman filed a…
Documented Rule gaming -
Mayor's External Affairs Director Pedro Gomez — resigned January 2025 after rape allegation referred to King County Prosecutor
Pedro Gomez served as Director of External Affairs in Mayor Bruce Harrell's office. On June 18, 2024, Gomez allegedly raped Cheryl Delostrinos following a business meeting that Harrell had helped arrange. A police incident report describes…
Alleged · not adjudicated Special privilegesStructural failure
Port of Seattle
2 cases-
Port of Seattle — Rhysida ransomware attack, ~90,000 individuals' data exposed, $6M ransom refused
On August 24, 2024, the Port of Seattle was hit by a Rhysida ransomware attack affecting systems supporting Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and other Port operations. The Port refused to pay the approximately $6 million ransom…
Documented Structural failure -
Port of Seattle — Partner in Employment contract fraud ($250K misappropriated, $509K Port contracts)
The Port of Seattle's Internal Audit Department published Report #2024-17 in December 2024, documenting that approximately $250,000 was misappropriated from Partner in Employment (PIE), a nonprofit that held approximately $509,000 in Port…
Documented Criminal fraudMisuse of public resources