Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley is back on the job after his federal criminal trial. And he’s firing back at Gov. Jay Inslee.
Last week Kelley asked for the resignation of his chief of staff and chief spokesman. Inslee demanded an explanation for the firings. Now Kelley has responded.
In a scathing two-page letter, he accuses the governor, a fellow Democrat, of trying to create news coverage in an election year. Kelley goes on to highlight recent critical audit findings regarding state tolling. And Kelley accuses the governor of failing to adequately address the “root causes” of the accidental early release of approximately 3,000 prison inmates over a 13-year period.
Kelley wrote that he asked his chief of staff and chief spokesman to resign because of a loss of confidence in them. He recently returned to office after a federal jury acquitted him on one count and deadlocked on the remaining counts of an indictment related to his past real estate services business.
A spokeswoman for Inslee’s office calls the letter a “bizarre response” and says it only deepens their concerns.
