Catholic Accountability Project
CV NEWS FEED // A Washington superior court sided with the Catholic Dioceses of Spokane, Yakima, and Seattle on July 12, striking down a subpoena the state’s attorney general, Democrat Bob Ferguson, filed in an attempt to investigate the dioceses’ records.
Local news outlet KHQ reported that Ferguson launched an investigation into the dioceses in May to find out whether they had used charitable funds to cover up child sex abuse.
According to The Pillar, Ferguson’s investigation included a subpoena demanding all diocesan records related to clergy child sex abuse from as early as the 1940s.
The dioceses refused to comply with the investigation into the records, pointing out that they were already working with Ferguson to resolve the sex abuse allegations. The dioceses also argued that they were protected from disclosing records under the Charitable Trust Act, which requires public transparency for charitable trusts over $250,000, but also provides religious exemptions.
The Pillar reported that the dioceses also claimed the subpoenaed records could have disclosed private information that would have violated survivors’ confidentiality.
The issue made its way to King County Superior Court, where Judge Michael Ramsey Scott ruled Friday in favor of the dioceses. Ferguson promised to appeal the decision, stating that potentially hiding sexual abuse does not exempt the dioceses from the Act.
“We plan to immediately appeal this decision because Washingtonians deserve a full public accounting of the Church’s involvement in and responsibility for the child sexual abuse crisis,” Ferguson said. “As a Catholic, I believe in justice for survivors and I am disappointed by the Church’s lack of transparency.”
A self-professed Catholic, Ferguson has previously targeted Christian pro-life pregnancy centers and supported LGBT initiatives and abortion. He is currently running for governor in Washington.
