DORI MONSON
Dori: Inslee refuses to pay back taxpayers for WSP security detail
Aug 23, 2019, 5:10 AM
(File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
At the press conference announcing the end of his presidential campaign and his run for a third term as governor, Jay Inslee was asked if he was going to reimburse taxpayers for the millions of dollars in travel and overtime costs for his 14-person Washington State Patrol security detail that has accompanied him everywhere on the campaign trail.
Remember, he was not doing his job back home in Washington state during that time — he was out seeking a new job at the federal level.
Here was Inslee’s response to that question.
We’re going to follow Washington law, and Washington law is that the Washington State Patrol provides security for the governor. We’re going to follow that law to a T.
Reporters pressed him on it, noting that Inslee was not on official state business during all of the times when his security detail was flying across the country with him.
Security detail for Inslee’s ego trip costing us millions
Maybe I should make myself clear. We are going to follow the law in the state of Washington, I think that’s a good thing to follow. It provides that the State Patrol provides security for the governor, no matter what the governor is doing — going to church, going for a walk, or any other matter. That’s the law of the state of Washington, so that’s what we’re going to do.
Reporters kept pressing him, noting that the law also allows for him to reimburse the Washington State Patrol out of his campaign funds and asking him why he wouldn’t do so. Like a broken record, Inslee kept repeating, “Because we’re going to follow the law.”
How much is left in Inslee’s presidential campaign coffers? He just announced a few days ago he had 130,000 unique donors. I know he was one of the only Democrats to accept PAC money — and there was a PAC that raised $2 million for his presidential campaign. Can he roll whatever presidential campaign money is left into his gubernatorial campaign?
As I’ve told you before, in Montana, the governor, Steve Bullock, is running for president. They have a real attorney general — not like Bob Ferguson, who has weaponized the AG’s office — and that attorney general told Bullock that he has to pay back the taxpayers for his security detail. But for Bob Ferguson, party comes before all, so there is no way he will protect the taxpayers.
Here’s my other point. Inslee keeps saying, “I’m going to follow the law.” Federal law does not allow you to have sanctuary for illegal immigrants, Governor. How come you follow the law “to a T” when it benefits you financially, but you ignore the law when doing so results in the rape and murder of some of your citizens? A sheriff’s deputy in Kittitas County gets killed, a woman in White Center gets raped. You’re happy to ignore those laws.
You don’t follow the law on dozens of issues, so why is this the one issue where you feel absolutely beholden to the letter of the law?
Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
