What happens when the agency tasked with transparency goes silent? When the watchdog looks away, or worse, helps cover the tracks?
In this episode, we confront the growing crisis inside the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Top legal counsel Al Rose publicly accused WaTech of a yearlong cover-up, then quietly backed off, offering an apology letter that only deepens the mystery. Meanwhile, his own office refused to audit the agency at the center of it all, and instead sicced two Assistant Attorneys General on a citizen who simply asked for clarification. That citizen? Me.
From vanishing mailboxes and mysteriously missing emails to a legal joke about chickens that never clucked in court, this episode dissects a failure of courage at the highest levels of Washington's transparency apparatus. If silence is complicity, then the State Auditor’s Office has some serious explaining to do.
Transcript + Source Docs:
Get the full hyperlinked transcript and all documents referenced in this episode:
thepublicrecordsofficer.com
Sign up for updates:
Join our mailing list for future episodes and investigations
thepublicrecordsofficer.com
Support the show:
We’re powered by public records and public support. Buy us a coffee https://coff.ee/thepublicrecordsofficer
About WashCOG:
The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) fights for transparency and accountability in Washington State. Learn more:
washcog.org
Follow & Share
X (Twitter): @opengovpod
Instagram: @opengovpod
BlueSky: @thepropodcast.bsky.social
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com