State elections agency may investigate Aaron Reardon but will wait for State Patrol report

EVERETT — The state Public Disclosure Commission may launch its own investigation of Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon’s campaign activities once state troopers wrap up their criminal probe.

The PDC received a citizen complaint last week alleging campaign-finance irregularities during Reardon’s successful re-election campaign last year. Rather than acting on that complaint, the commission plans to wait for evidence that State Patrol detectives —or anyone else— may turn up.

That approach owes mainly to limited staffing and an attempt to avoid duplicating work troopers are already doing, PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson said Thursday.

“We’re going to look at their report,” Anderson said. “Based on their findings, we’ll decide what to do next and how to respond to the complaint. I don’t know that there will be an investigation.”

The PDC complaint came from a Gold Bar woman who cited articles from The Herald and King5.com, but provided no independent evidence.

Troopers have declined to provide a timeline for their investigation. Their work will depend in part on public records from Reardon’s office. More are due for release later this month.

As part of their work, detectives have requested bills for Reardon’s county-issued phone, official scheduling calendars and his county emails going back three years. The Herald and other news outlets have been receiving copies of that information under state records laws.

An analysis of those documents by The Herald found that Reardon set aside 124 work hours on his county schedule last year for campaign work. During those blocs, he made roughly 1,000 calls to campaign staff and to donors to his re-election campaign. That amounted to more than a full workweek of dialing for dollars from his county phone.

Bursts of calls to campaign donors occurred during periods marked on Reardon’s calendars as “in office staff meetings.”

Emails show that Reardon coordinated times for many of those staff meetings with his political fundraiser, Colby Underwood, whom Reardon paid $41,000 for work during the campaign.

Neither Reardon nor Underwood have returned calls or emails asking questions about the records.

Reardon in December claimed that his interactions with Underwood mostly involved an alternative energy venture, Blue Marble Biomaterials, where Underwood holds the title of chief business officer. The company, Reardon said, was exploring projects at the county’s closed Cathcart landfill.

Emails, however, provide no evidence of Underwood representing Blue Marble Biomaterials during his dealings with Reardon’s office. There also is no mention of energy projects.

What the emails do show is Underwood arranging dozens of meeting times with Reardon’s executive assistant from the fall of 2010 through the spring of 2011. The times almost perfectly coincide with times on Reardon’s schedule set aside for “in office staff meetings.”

The subject line for one email thread between Underwood and the assistant is “January call times.” Another, with the subject line “March requests,” declines one time period by noting, “No – That’s enough for that week.”

Office holders are prohibited from using any public resources for political campaigns. Doing so violates state elections law and can lead to steep fines, which the Public Disclosure Commission has the ability to impose.

County Council members cited The Herald’s finding and other news accounts on Feb. 22 when they voted 4-0 to urge Reardon to take paid administrative leave until the troopers’ investigation is over. Reardon made clear he’s going nowhere. Under the county’s charter, the council has no power to force his hand.

Councilman Dave Gossett and others have said that any other county employee in similar circumstances would have been required to go on leave. Snohomish County’s ethics code lists engaging in political activity while on duty as grounds for discipline, “up to and including termination” for any county worker.

Reardon’s only response to the council’s resolution so far has been to post a YouTube video. The executive didn’t directly address the council’s request, but said he intended to keep doing his job.

To date, the county has received one unsuccessful petition seeking to recall Reardon from office. Snohomish County attorneys declined to process the petition because the Kirkland man is not a Snohomish County voter.

Reardon, an Everett Democrat, beat Republican state Rep. Mike Hope of Lake Stevens on Nov. 8 with about 55 percent of the votes. Word of the patrol investigation became public just days earlier.

It started in October when a female county employee brought concerns about Reardon’s use of taxpayer resources to County Councilman Dave Somers.

Tami Dutton, a social worker in the Human Services Department, alleged that she accompanied Reardon on county business trips as part of a years-long affair. As part of the relationship, she also claimed to have met up with the executive during regular business hours. Reardon and Dutton have known each other since the 1980s, when they attended Mariner High School.

Somers relayed Dutton’s allegations to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which asked state troopers to get involved to avoid potential conflicts of interest within county government. Reardon has denied wrongdoing.

Human Services director Ken Stark last week said Dutton remains in good standing at her county job because there is no evidence of her violating county policies. Dutton also has received whistle-blower protection from the County Council and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

Lake Stevens Sewer District wastewater treatment plant. (Lake Stevens Sewer District)
Lake Stevens sewer district trial delayed until April

The dispute began in 2021 and centers around when the city can take over the district.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

A salmon carcass lays across willow branches in Edgecomb Creek on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tribes: State fish passage projects knock down barriers for local efforts

Court-ordered projects have sparked collaboration for salmon habitat restoration

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council approves $111 million construction of sewer project

The Port Gardner Storage Facility, in the works for more than a decade, will help prevent overflows of the city sewer system.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.