In roughly one minute last Tuesday morning, Lewis County commissioners moved, seconded and approved indemnification protections tied to the Paul Bromm lawsuit, giving us a stark view of how accountability works under current county leadership.
When ordinary citizens exercise poor judgment, we pay for the consequences ourselves. When politically connected public officials create legal exposure, our county leadership assembles a circle of lawyers, administrators and procedural language to shield them with taxpayer resources.
The resolution was presented and recommended, seconded by Commissioner Lindsey Pollock, and ultimately approved by Pollock and Commissioner Scott Brummer while Commissioner Sean Swope abstained. Pollock initially stated “independent” counsel had reviewed the matter and recommended approval. But Brummer quickly clarified that the Lewis County prosecutor, risk pool attorneys and another county’s prosecutor all agreed the parties involved were acting within the scope of their official duties.
You can hardly call that “independent” review. This was government consulting government about protecting government.
Simply having a group of arms-length attorneys conclude conduct falls within official duties does not automatically make that conduct responsible, ethical or deserving of taxpayer-funded protection.
This should matter to anyone concerned about the stewardship of our public resources and public trust in general.
What happened Tuesday was not simply a procedural motion and vote. It was government closing ranks around its own. Internal lawyers, administrators, risk pool attorneys and another county’s prosecutor all reviewed it. Everyone “inside” the machinery of government ultimately arrived at the same conclusion: government officials should be protected by government money.
Meanwhile, we taxpayers are expected to foot the bill.
Commissioner Pollock stated during discussion that she believed the review had been conducted “independently.” Based on Brummer’s clarification, that characterization does not appear accurate. Which raises legitimate questions about how informed Commissioner Pollock was before seconding the motion and voting to approve the resolution.
Scott Brummer recently described lawsuits against government as “a fact of life” while continuing to oppose expanding the commission from three members to five because bigger government supposedly costs taxpayers more money. That contradiction should not be lost on residents. Apparently, government only becomes “too big” when citizens ask for broader representation and accountability, not when taxpayers are asked to absorb growing legal costs tied to conduct surrounding elected county actions.
Sean Swope abstained from the vote because he was named in the lawsuit. But taxpayers should not ignore the larger reality here either.
Once again, taxpayers are left dealing with legal and political fallout connected to Sean Swope’s continued controversies.
The tally of costs in the wake of these controversies is mounting.
Lewis County residents recognize self-preservation when we see it.
The public did not witness accountability on Tuesday.
We experienced the exercise of government protecting its own.
Voters should remember that the next time these same officials’ campaign on fiscal responsibility, limited government and accountability to the public. Their actions on and leading up to Tuesday spoke louder than any campaign slogan will.
Matt Evans
Centralia
