The Thurston Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has confirmed in a statement the ongoing investigation into Commissioner Emily Clouse and her suspension from external advisory boards and commissions.
According to the statement released by Commissioners Tye Menser, Wayne Fornier, Carolina Mejia, and Gary Edwards, the Board has been responding to a "unique and evolving complaint" involving Clouse.
In response to the complaint, the BOCC, in collaboration with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the County’s Human Resources Department, engaged a third-party investigator to evaluate the situation.
According to the statement, the Board held an executive session on August 29 to receive a preliminary verbal report from the investigator.
The statement reveals that while some aspects of the accusations against Clouse have been ruled out, questions remain regarding her judgment and conduct.
"The accusations made against Commissioner Clouse were extremely concerning," the Board noted.
Despite this issue, the Board aims to handle the investigation responsibly while ensuring that the County’s regular business continues without disruption.
The statement also addressed recent tension within the BOCC during the agenda-setting meeting on September 3.
During the said meeting, Menser motioned to restore Clouse to her external committee assignments, but the motion did not receive a second, leading to further debate.
Menser expressed confusion over the Board’s reluctance to reinstate Clouse, citing a recent report that failed to substantiate the allegations against her.
In contrast, Fournier emphasized the importance of waiting for the final written report before making any decisions.
Edwards supported this view, highlighting concerns about potential harm to the county and financial implications for taxpayers.
The BOCC's statement confirmed that Clouse remains a full voting member of the Board and continues to participate in County business and meetings. However, she has been suspended from external advisory boards and commissions.
The investigation's final written report is still pending, and the BOCC plans to release it along with a written statement once completed.
"The Board appreciates the patience of the public and staff as it works through what has become a very distracting situation," the statement concluded.
The exact nature of the complaints against Commissioner Clouse remains undisclosed, although her lawyer has indicated that the investigation involves a work colleague with whom Clouse was previously involved.
6 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Olywelcomesall
Appreciate that the Board issued a joint statement on this matter. It helps clarify that Clouse remains in her job carrying out her main duties of work overseeing policy and budget of the County. Meanwhile important to remember that other Commissioners have actually abused their power as with Commissioner Edward’s attempt to obtain SSI number of then Commisson Candidate Mejia. Did he get suspended from any committees? Did he apologize to Mejia and all county residents for his attempted subterfuge?
Tuesday, September 10 Report this
bonaro
Olywelcomesall - Seeking confirmation that someone is eligible to hold office is not subterfuge nor an abuse of power, it is a prerequisite.
Tuesday, September 10 Report this
Boatyarddog
Bonaro
Not when the commissioner has been holding office.That information is usually considered during election as a prerequisite. Edward's is holding it as a stick, just to raise doubt.
Tuesday, September 10 Report this
HappyOlympian
Another area paper ran article about Clouse's driving violations, which are willful, extensive and varied; in the workplace more choices in her behavior that warrants an investigation and suspension from some duties. Seems like voters have chosen an immature, self-absorbed, entitled and unqualified person to run county affairs.
Wednesday, September 11 Report this
Boatyarddog
Happyolympian,
Sources? You want the General Public to believe you?
Cite your sources, so that we may have some tangible truth. You may be bordering on misrepresenting a County officals public record. It deserves truth.
Wednesday, September 11 Report this
BCBEAN
Regarding the comment on Clouse's driving violations, I did a search of her name in the WA Court Records database, and she comes up six times as a defendant. Do these elected officials undergo criminal background checks? Shouldn't all this be disclosed before elections?
Saturday, September 14 Report this