OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark has lashed out at Attorney General Rob McKenna for deciding not to appeal a land condemnation court case in Okanogan County.
The state Department of Natural Resources lost a challenge in Okanogan County Superior Court last month. A judge ruled that the Okanogan Public Utility District had the right to condemn state school trust lands for an easement to build a transmission line.
In a statement Tuesday, Goldmark accused McKenna of “choosing to play politics with our state’s heritage.”
McKenna fired back, saying it’s “insulting” to say politics played a role and “regrettable” that Goldmark sought to undermine the attorney general’s office.
Goldmark says he’s assessing his department’s options, saying he may seek other counsel.
