Letter to the Editor: Edna Fund Carries the Water For ‘Special’ Constituents

I never had an interest in Lewis County government or politics and was happy enjoying retired life in Packwood, Washington. This changed when I learned the damage that crony politics and politically connected people can do to a community when pursuing their special interests with the help of their friends on the Lewis County BOCC.

We had to fight to save our park from a politically connected, IRS-revoked nonprofit that tried to have it transferred from Washington State Parks to Lewis County and then lease it back. This organization had sold a public park in 2014 to satisfy an IRS lien, and we didn’t think they were particularly interested in what was best for Lewis County, the Packwood community or our park.

According to PDC filings, Edna Fund has contributed over $65,000 to her campaign so far. This is significantly more than all contributions for all candidates in the 2016 commissioner race and reflects a level of desperation in the Fund campaign. The only other contribution to her campaign listed is $875 from J. Vander Stoep, an attorney involved in the Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Project. Whatever the merits of the flood control dam project, you can bet there are millions in pork for Vander Stoep’s firm and many connected firms in Lewis County and it’s in their interest that Edna Fund get a third term. 

Swope’s primary win has frightened these people and Vander Stoep’s campaign contribution is helping finance the hit pieces on Swope. Sean Swope, as a young family man, doesn’t have the resources to match Edna Fund’s personal war chest.

Last year, I watched Edna Fund destroy the integrity of the Lodging Tax Grant Program (LTAC) she oversees in a gambit to fund this same organization which was unqualified to receive LTAC funding. The president of this now defunct organization was a leading Packwood businessman, and the vice president was a former commissioner, both close friends of Commissioner Fund.

They came up with a scheme to apply for the funding through a qualified Packwood nonprofit and transfer the grant money to the unqualified organization. This scheme probably would have worked except for a citizen letter getting to the prosecutor and him ruling against it. It became apparent Commissioner Fund was supporting this scheme as she didn’t fully disclose the prosecutor’s ruling to the LTAC panel before the applicant presentations and continued to try to get the grant approved. 

Commissioner Fund crossed ethical and perhaps legal lines to help ‘special’ constituents and set a low bar for future applicants. If the BOCC can’t reject an applicant for putting forward a fraudulent application, it will be difficult to enforce any audit or other standard for applicants.

What I have related here is small potatoes compared to the big projects and initiatives being considered in Lewis County in the years ahead, but this is my experience with how the lady operates. Therefore my vote goes to Swope.

William Serrahn

Packwood