The respondent was a member of a neighborhood pool association. At the request of another member, concerning membership issues, the respondent had his legislative assistant type a letter on senate letterhead in his legislative office and the respondent hand-delivered the letter.

Print Version | No está disponible en español

Inside the Legislature

		Find Your Legislator
		Visiting the Legislature
		Agendas, Schedules and Calendars
		Bill Information

	Advisory Opinions
	Complaint Opinions

Type	Complaint
Date	8/14/1997
Number	97-01
Topic	Personal use - public resources
Respondent	Sen. Ken Jacobsen
Question/Complaint	The respondent was a member of a neighborhood pool association. At the request of another member, concerning membership issues, the respondent had his legislative assistant type a letter on senate letterhead in his legislative office and the respondent hand-delivered the letter.
Summary	The action constituted a private benefit because the topic of the letter is a personal concern of the respondents with no apparent legislative purpose. This is not a situation involving a state agency or possible legislation. When the member has a strong personal interest the "ombudsmen" role is only appropriate if some governmental action or legislation is involved. RCW 42.52.160. Violation found.
	View this publication in Acrobat (PDF) Format