Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse says she regrets her actions this year and committed herself to being more professional in a letter to the community.
Clouse posted the letter on her official Facebook page Monday, three days after Thurston County released an investigation report and Human Resource Memorandum about her relationship with her former executive aide.
"While the findings confirm that the allegations against me were largely unsubstantiated, I deeply regret my decision to be in a personal relationship with a County employee that started the investigation and affected our community," Clouse said.
The county hired an outside investigator to prepare the report, which primarily examines the amount of legal liability the county faces. The report effectively absolved the county of the aide's sexual harassment and retaliation claims that are the basis for his recently filed lawsuit against the county.
However, the report also described concerning behavior by Clouse, including engaging in a secret relationship with her aide and accepting money and gifts from him without paying him back.
In a Friday statement, the Board of County Commissioners said her conduct would have resulted in the termination of any regular county employee. Yet, they said they do not have the legal authority to fire her because she is an independently elected official.
"The investigation uncovered breaches of trust and ethical violations by Commissioner Clouse," the board wrote. "Commissioner Clouse's actions were a direct violation of Thurston County HR Policies, her Oath of Office, and a violation of the public's trust instilled in elected officials."
The board asked her to hold herself accountable, pledge herself to professional development and use a hiring panel before selecting a new a new aide. Clouse responded to those requests in her own letter.
"I acknowledge the Board's recommendations and am committed to a higher level of professionalism and reflection as I move forwards," Clouse said. "I am glad to put this behind me and get back to representing our county on the many important boards and committees I am pleased to serve on."
Despite their disappointment, the board said they intend to reinstate Clouse to her appointed boards and committees. Three of her seatmates voted to suspend her from those duties on Aug. 13 amid the investigation.
Clouse comments on the aide
Clouse described her former aide as a long-time friend who supported her vision for the county and asked her for employment.
"During their employment, there were repeated issues with their unprofessional behavior, such as leaving work without notice, no-call and no-show absences and increasingly aggressive communications that I perceived as threatening," she wrote.
She said the report "revealed" that her aide feared they would be fired so they "preemptively made false allegations against me to avoid those inevitable consequences."
Allyn Hershey, Clouse's former aide, shared his side of the story with The Olympian on Friday. He accused Clouse of unprofessional behavior and pressuring him into an unwelcome relationship.
Clouse fired Hershey on July 26, about 30 minutes after he reported to the county's HR Department that he was being harassed.
Just four days prior, Clouse had sent him text messages calling him the "shadow commissioner" and the "best EA ever," according to the report and text messages reviewed by The Olympian.
Hershey said he left the office on July 24 following a disagreement with Clouse. However, he maintains he continued to work remotely that day as well as July 25 and 26, which he said was not unusual for his schedule.
He also denied a sexual assault allegation Clouse made against him during the investigation. The report itself did not determine whether the assault occurred, but county documents reviewed by The Olympian vaguely indicated it was not substantiated.
The report states Clouse "more likely than not" did not sexually harass or retaliate against Hershey. Edward Earl Younglove III, Hershey's attorney, told The Olympian on Friday that the report was incomplete and did not appropriately reflect the facts of the situation.
"It may seem cynical to say that these investigations are frequently done to basically provide cover for the employer, but I think that is often true." Younglove said.
The Olympian has asked Younglove and Hershey to respond to Clouse's Monday statement.
What else did Clouse say?
Clouse said she wanted to move on from this investigation and continue serving the county as a commissioner.
"The people of Thurston County deserve an effective County government," Clouse said. "To achieve that goal, the Board must work together and focus on the indicatives we pledged to the public we would undertake, without distractions and overreaching bureaucracy."
Over the past few months, Maia Robbins, Clouse's attorney, has described Clouse's suspension and the months-long investigation as a political vendetta by her client's seatmates.
The board's Friday statement did not address the sexual harassment or retaliation claims. However, they did focus on Clouse's apparent ethical violations and deceptive behavior, illustrating a deep schism between Clouse and her seatmates.
In her letter, Clouse commented on the toll of the past several months and said she remains focused on "serving the county with transparency."
"This has been a profoundly challenging experience, but it has also strengthened my resolve to fulfill the promises I made to this community, such as addressing affordable housing, advancing environmental sustainability and promoting economic justice," Clouse said.
She ended by saying she is grateful for the "support and trust of so many throughout this process."
"Together, I am confident we can move forward and refocus on the work that matters most for the residents of Thurston County," Clouse said.
