By Bill Lucia | Editor
Gov. Bob Ferguson won’t take action to push two Fish and Wildlife Commission members out of their positions after a recent investigation found that they skirted transparency laws and conflict of interest rules. Ferguson’s office did warn Commissioners Melanie Rowland and Lorna Smith in letters sent Monday that the governor could take steps to remove them if they don’t follow the guidelines for the remainder of their terms. A hunters and anglers group, and others that wanted to see the commissioners ousted, expressed frustration with Ferguson’s decision.
Also in today’s edition…
Backlash from Washington officials over reports the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a surge of election-related investigations in the state.
A man arrested by federal immigration authorities returns home to his family in northern Washington after months in custody that ended with his release in Louisiana.
And, queasiness over the scope of this year’s food recalls around the U.S.
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Ferguson, seen here in June, warned the two commissioners he could act to remove them from their positions on the panel if they don’t follow transparency laws and conflict of interest rules. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)
By Jerry Cornfield
Rowland declined to comment on the warning from the governor. She said she has not spoken to anyone in the governor’s office about the investigation or the findings. Smith could not be reached for comment. Both commissioners are serving terms that end Dec. 31. The letters come one month after the release of the findings of an investigation into commissioners’ conduct that Ferguson ordered a year ago at the request of Kelly Susewind, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Neither Ferguson nor his office provided comment Tuesday after the letters were released, and the governor avoided answering questions about the commission late last week.
By Jake Goldstein-Street
Washington officials are voicing concerns that President Donald Trump and his Department of Homeland Security will reportedly ramp up efforts to look for widespread election fraud for which there is no evidence. Attorney General Nick Brown, a Democrat, said he has “no reason to believe this is a legitimate inquiry by DHS.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined to comment on the Washington operation, saying the agency can’t comment on “any active investigations” but is “actively rooting out and investigating election fraud wherever it can be found.”
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs called the potential surge in voter fraud investigations “another attempt by the federal government to cause chaos and confusion ahead of the midterms.” Hobbs, a Democrat, noted Washington had just five documented cases of voter fraud out of 90 million ballots cast between 2008 and 2025.
See also: USPS whistleblower predicts ‘catastrophic’ effect on elections under Trump vote-by-mail order | by Jacob Fischler
By Lindsey Toomer
Rudy Villeda Mejía, a roofer arrested at Denver International Airport on March 30 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is back with his family in northern Washington state. A judge ordered the release of Villeda Mejía, 47, on Aug. 3.
His family said they struggled to locate him while he was in custody and that he was moved from Colorado to Arizona and then to Texas and Louisiana. The judge ordered ICE to release Villeda Mejía from detention because he has a pending application for a T visa, which is designated for victims of human trafficking. His family said he was released in Louisiana without his passport or work permit. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen’s office assisted Villeda Mejía to get his documents returned.
Villeda Mejía is originally from Honduras. He has lived in the U.S. since he entered without authorization in 2010, when he was kidnapped by a cartel in Mexico that brought him over the border, according to a statement he made with his visa application.
By Anna Claire Vollers
A summer of food recalls, including the cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness. Other incidents have involved jalapenos, frozen berries, beef and alfalfa sprouts. This year’s tally of food recalls is roughly in line with recent years. About 48 million people each year get sick from a foodborne illness. But experts worry that the scope and severity of problems tied to the recalls is growing. And the latest recalls have drawn attention to cuts the Trump administration has made to public health agencies.
ICYMI
WA state workers stage walkout amid clash over pay demands | by Jerry Cornfield and Aspen Ford
Developmental disabilities program for WA families to be cut, but not ended | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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