Seattle City Councilman Richard McIver paid a recent $1,000 ethics fine with taxpayer money, The Seattle Times reports.
Apparently there's a little-known (until now) law that says the city will indemnify employees "facing financial penalties for misconduct," The Times says. This comes after the ethics commission ruled McIver should pay the fine out of his personal funds.
McIver got the fine for awarding a no-bid contract to a company owned in part by a longtime friend who hosted him at her Virgin Islands condominium shortly before the contract was signed.
Using taxpayer funds didn't set well with Wayne Barnett, executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. According to The Times, Barnett is returning the money, along with a letter to McIver that says the use of public money is "'plainly contrary to the public interest' and makes the commission's authority 'meaningless.'"
Our elected officials have done a remarkable job creating laws to cover their own asses. I was living in Tacoma when the Brame incident went down (remember that little picnic?). It was amazing, though hardly surprising, to watch the city council use the city's tax payer funded legal department to do everything they could to block and stymie the investigation.
Open government my hairy backside...
Just what the dtocor ordered, thankity you!
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