The case of state auditor Troy Kelley presents Washington with a conundrum that might require a legislative solution.
Three weeks ago, Kelley, a Democrat from Tacoma, was indicted on 10 counts of felony criminal activity by a federal grand jury. Among the charges is that Kelley — a former state representative in his first term as the state’s elected auditor — kept stolen money, lied under oath and evaded taxes. Each of the charges could carry prison time, with the most serious possibly resulting in a sentence of 20 years. It should be noted that the actions leading to the charges largely predated Kelley’s role as auditor and do not appear to be related to his performance in the job.
Still, Kelley finds himself in what is an untenable position for any elected official, let alone one whose job is to be a paragon of trustworthiness. As the “mission and goals” for the auditor’s office declare, “The State Auditor’s Office holds state and local government accountable for the use of public resources. With accountability being the paramount duty of the auditor, Gov. Jay Inslee quickly called for Kelley to resign once the indictment became public. “He should resign immediately,” Inslee announced. “An appointee can restore confidence in the office and assure the public that the Office of the State Auditor will operate at the high standards required of the post.”
That is where the conundrum comes in. While Kelley is innocent until proven guilty, his ability to perform his duties has been diminished. He has refused to resign, has stated a desire to clear his name, and on Monday began a leave of absence. We echo the call from the governor — and from other officials, Republicans and Democrats alike — for Kelley to resign. But given the brazen stubbornness he has demonstrated, that likely amounts to so much howling at the moon and leaves the public only with more time-consuming and costly recourses.