On Tuesday, April 28, the Board of Lewis County Commissioners met to discuss Resolution 26-142, which is a resolution to indemnify Commissioner Sean Swope and other named county officials from the financial legal liability associated with a federal lawsuit filed by Paul Bromm.
In the meeting, Commissioner Swope rightly recused himself from the vote, Commissioner Scott Brummer moved to approve it and Commissioner Lindsey Pollock would not second the motion because it was brought forward while she was away and she has not had an opportunity to critically review its implications.
So, the resolution has been tabled.
I commend Commissioner Pollock for her decision to put the brakes on. It is important that any potential indemnification be taken quite seriously, especially for conduct that appears political, personal, and entirely avoidable. The resolution the commissioners must consider is not set in stone. It can be modified to deny coverage in cases involving bad faith or improper conduct or thrown out altogether. This situation deserves a high level of scrutiny before taxpayers are asked to write a blank check.
In reading through the complaint, it appears Commissioner Swope's personal actions set off a chain of events that have driven this lawsuit and with it financial and reputational risk to our county. It has also exposed other named county officials to avoidable legal risk. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Commissioner Swope has put the county and taxpayers in this position. He has a pattern of leveraging his position as a commissioner to propagandize his personal agendas. His actions have both wasted taxpayer time and money and created a divisive climate in our community.
Commissioners Pollock and Brummer have a responsibility to address this issue with the utmost gravity as representatives of their constituents and leaders of those that work for Lewis County. It is their responsibility to consider the economic impact avoidable lawsuits like this have on the limited budget they must manage to meet the needs of our county. They have a responsibility to set the tone when needed to ensure the people of this county can trust our Commission is working in our best interest. This is a pinnacle moment for them to decide if they are ok with allowing behavior like Commissioner Swope's to continue.
They can choose not to indemnify Commissioner Swope for his actions while protecting those he put at risk with his reckless behavior. They can choose not to indemnify any part of the block of named individuals if they feel they did not act in the county's best interest. They can also choose to rebuke Commissioner Swope through censure, strip him of committee assignments or boards, restrict his administrative access, or seek his judicial removal from office. These actions are designed to ensure accountability in the face of behavior like Commissioner Swope's flagrant misuse of office.
The most optimal outcome would be for Commissioner Swope to resign in the best interest of Lewis County.
Matt Evans
Centralia
