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Enforcements for Department of Transportation

Casesort descending Agency Violation/Result Penalty Amount Laws RCW
1999-001 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to create personal documents relating to an ice-skating organization they were affiliated with, to draft personal financial reports, loan amortization documents, party announcements and freelance stories from a TV series.

Result: Settlement approved on September 16, 1999 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $3,000.

$3,000 RCW 42.52.160
1999-025 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used persons and state resources under their control to perform work for a private school that their child attended. This included the use of seven crew members, telephone poles and other supplies, equipment and vehicles unrelated to their official duties.

Result: Order of Reconsideration issued on June 8, 2001 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $4,000.

$4,000 RCW 42.52.020, RCW 42.52.070, RCW 42.52.160
2000-012 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transporation Aviation Director may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they sent personal email messages and created personal documents using state owned equipment.

Result: Settlement approved on November 30, 2000 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $250. The Board also issued a Letter of Instruction.

$250 RCW 42.52.160
2001-002 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they approved vendor payments on a number of billings while the employee and the vendor were engaged in a business relationship.

Result: Settlement approved on October 10, 2003 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $1,500 and an additional $1,000 in investigative costs.

$1,500 RCW 42.52.020
2001-005 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they improperly received higher wages by submitting signed timesheets claiming captain's wages while at the same time signing the vessel logs as a mate.

Result: Settlement approved on October 10, 2003 for reimbursement of investigative costs in the amount of $250 and an additional $1,500 restitution to employing agency for overpaid wages.

$250 RCW 42.52.070, RCW 42.52.160
2001-006 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transporation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to send or receive email and repeatedly visited websites unrelated to their official duties. Inappropriate use continued after being directed by the agency to stop such conduct.

Result: Settlement approved on November 8, 2002 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $2,500 with $1,400 suspended.

$2,500 RCW 42.52.160
2001-084 Department of Transportation

Violation: A former Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources, including facilities, tools, and equipment to store and work on privately owned vehicles; used a state-owned vehicle, computer and cell phone for personal gain.

Result: Settlement approved on September 12, 2003 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $2,500 with $1,000 suspended and an additional $463.68 restitution employing agency.

$2,500 RCW 42.52.160
2003-082 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used a state laptop computer and internet service for outside employment, personal projects, stock trading and viewing inappropriate materials.

Result: Settlement approved on March 11, 2005 for a Civil penalty in the amount of $2,000 with $500 suspended.

$2,000 RCW 42.52.160
2004-063 Department of Transportation

Violation: A former Department of Transportation employee violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used their state computer to pursue personal interests and non-work-related activities.

Result: Final Order approved on September 8, 2006 for a Civil penalty of $2,000.

$2,000 RCW 42.52.160
2006-022 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used their state provided computer to store personal documents, to view numerous internet sites, on occasion for a minimum of two to three hours per day, to send and receive personal email and used instant messaging to communicate with multiple individuals.

Result: Settlement approved on September 8, 2006 for a Civil penalty of $1,150.

$1,150 RCW 42.52.160
2006-029 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Washington State Department of Transportation team leader may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used their state computer to create and send personal emails, access internet sites of personal interest and personal email account and store personal documents and hundreds of pictures and images.

Result: Settlement approved on September 14, 2007 for a Civil penalty of $2,500 with $1,000 suspended.

$2,500 RCW 42.52.160
2006-030 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to support an outside business.

Result: Settlement approved on October 13, 2006 for a Civil penalty of $1,000.

$1,000 RCW 42.52.160
2007-012 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act by using their agency issued cell phone and their SCAN code to make personal phone calls.

Result: Settlement approved on June 13, 2008 for a Civil penalty of $500 with $250 suspended.

$500 RCW 42.52.160
2010-083 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Department of Transportation employee may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they failed to report leave and used state resources for personal benefit.

Result: Settlement approved on March 16, 2012 for a Civil penalty of $2,500 with $1,000 suspended.

$2,500 RCW 42.52.160
2011-002 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of the Department of Transportation may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act by using state resources for personal gain when they used their state computer during breaks and lunchtime to read and edit a novel they were writing and sent and received 1,618 personal emails over a period of six months.

Result: Settlement approved on March 16, 2012 for a civil penalty of $4,000 with $2,800 suspended.

$4,000 RCW 42.52.160
2011-042 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of the Department of Transportation may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used the tire service station to service tires on their personal vehicle.

Result: Settlement approved on March 16, 2012 issuing a Letter of Instruction in lieu of a monetary fine.

Letter of Instruction RCW 42.52.160
2013-029 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of Washington State Ferries may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to conduct internal union business.

Result: Settlement approved on January 10. 2014 of a Letter of Instruction.

Letter of Instruction RCW 42.52.160
2013-031 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of Washington State Ferries may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to conduct internal union business.

Result: Settlement approved on January 10, 2014 of a Letter of Instruction.

Letter of Instruction RCW 42.52.160
2013-032 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of Washington State Ferries may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to conduct union business.

Result: Settlement approved on January 10, 2014, of a Letter of Instruction.

Letter of Instruction RCW 42.52.070, RCW 42.52.160
2013-045 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of the Department of Transportation may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources to promote/support an outside business of which they were a board member. Records indicated that they used their state computer and official job title while corresponding with another state agency regarding a non-profit.

Result: Settlement approved on May 9, 2014 for a civil penalty of $500 with $250 suspended.

$500 RCW 42.52.160
2014-028 Department of Transportation

Violation: An employee of the Department of Transportation may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources for personal benefit. Evidence indicated that they used the states' computer system to promote their book, including adding a graphic and a direct link to a shopping website where people could purchase the book, in their official WSDOT signature block.

Result: Settlement approved on September 12, 2014 for a civil penalty of $3,000 with $1,000 suspended.

$3,000 RCW 42.52.160
2014-059 Department of Transportation

Violation: The former Director of Operations with the Department of Transportation may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act in their efforts to influence the outcome of an internal investigation involving their son.

Result: Settlement approved on May 13, 2016 for a civil penalty of $1,500.

$1,500 RCW 42.52.020, RCW 42.52.070
2016-049 Department of Transportation

Violation: A former Transportation Engineer used state resources for their private benefit and gain when they used a state ORCA card for their daily commute trips to and from work and for personal trips on their days off.

Result: An agreed settlement was approved on July 14, 2017 imposing a civil penalty of $750

$750 RCW 42.52.160
2016-068 Department of Transportation

Violation: Director of Operations, Washington State Ferries, may have violated several sections of the Ethics in Public Service Act by allowing their spouse to use a ferry pass when they no longer had the privilege to do so and when they took time off to attend a golf tournament without submitting the proper leave and allowing their subordinates to do the same.

Result: An agreed Stipulation was approved on January 12, 2018 imposing a civil penalty of $6,000 with $2,000 suspended.

$6,000 RCW 42.52.020, RCW 42.52.070, RCW 42.52.160
2016-076 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Bridge Engineer with the Department of Transportation agreed that they may have used state resources to support two outside business activities.

Result: An agreed stipulation was approved on May 12, 2017 imposing a civil penalty of $4,000 with $1,000 suspended.

$4,000 RCW 42.52.160
2016-092 Department of Transportation

Violation: A WSDOT Bridge Design Engineer agreed that they may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act when they used state resources for their private benefit and gain in support of their outside employment as an adjunct faculty member of St. Martin's University.

Result: Settlement was approved on September 8, 2017, imposing a civil penalty of $4,500 with $2,500 suspended.

$4,500 RCW 42.52.160
2017-062 Department of Transportation

Violation: A Maintenance Superintendent with Washington State Department of Transportation, may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act by receiving a special privilege from another employee when that employee issued a Commercial Driver Training Employer Certification to their son.

Result: An agreed Stipulation was approved on May 11, 2018 imposing a civil penalty of $2,000 with $1,000 suspended.

$2,000 RCW 42.52.070
2020-057 Department of Transportation

Violation: Maintenance Technician with the Washington State Department of Transportation may have violated RCW 42.52, the Ethics in Public Service Act, by being present at a rally in Shelton while in on-call status in the Olympia region and attached a Blue Lives Matter flag to his state vehicle.

Result: A Final Order was issued on March 21, 2022 imposing a civil penalty of $1,750.

$1,750 RCW 42.52.160
2022-044 Department of Transportation

Violation: An Avalanche Forecast and Control Specialist 4 – Supervisor with the Washington State Department of Transportation, agreed that they may have violated the Ethics in Public Service Act by using state resources for private benefit or gain. Evidence indicated that they used their state email account for their outside homeowner’s association (HOA) work, saved several HOA related documents on their state computer and browsed the internet for personal reasons.

Result: An agreed Stipulation and Order was entered on May 12, 2023, imposing a civil penalty of $4,000 with $1,000 suspended.

$4,000 RCW 42.52.160