By Rachel La Corte / Associated Press
OLYMPIA — House Democrats were meeting Wednesday to consider suspending Rep. David Sawyer from his position as a legislative committee chairman in response to an ongoing investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct.
In a news release issued last week, House Democratic leaders said that an independent investigator has found evidence supporting some unspecified allegations made against the Tacoma Democrat. House leaders haven’t released any details about the investigation, but said in the news release that based on the preliminary information the caucus decided it needs to take “initial formal action.”
Earlier this year, public radio’s Northwest News Network and The News Tribune/Olympian reported that several women had accused Sawyer of inappropriate or harassing behavior both before and after he was elected to the Legislature in 2012. Sawyer’s interaction with staff has been restricted since February.
Sawyer has denied acting inappropriately and said in a Friday text message to the AP and other news organizations that the Legislature should let the investigation be completed and “not politicize the process.”
The Committee on Committees met late Wednesday morning to weigh House Democratic leadership’s recommendation to suspend Sawyer’s chairmanship from the Committee on Commerce and Gaming. Whatever recommendation reached by that committee was then to be presented to the full caucus and a possible vote in the afternoon.
Hours before Wednesday’s meeting, an attorney for Sawyer sent a letter to House Clerk Bernard Dean arguing that “fundamental fairness and due process” entitled Sawyer to be provided the same initial information the investigator shared with House leadership.
“The House Leadership’s decision to publicize and rely on preliminary findings without providing them to Representative Sawyer is deeply troubling,” wrote attorney Beth Terrell.
Terrell wrote that Sawyer “has not been accused of unwanted physical contact or sexual advances.”
“Representative Sawyer never intended to make any female colleague or employee uncomfortable and he is committed to making concrete changes in how he interacts to ensure that his intent is clear in the future,” she wrote.
Sawyer is up for re-election this year, and Democrat Melanie Morgan, a Franklin Pierce District school board member, has announced she is running against him and has already picked up key Democratic endorsements, including from Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
On Tuesday several groups, including Planned Parenthood, Washington Conservation Voters and SEIU 775, sent a letter to Sawyer asking him to not seek re-election, saying they can’t support his election bid.
“Your actions have significantly compromised your ability to adequately represent our shared communities,” the letter reads.
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