Posted on 05/30/2005 10:43:43 AM PDT by Radigan
King County is operating as a criminal enterprise, two outspoken critics claim in a racketeering complaint they will file with the FBI in Seattle today.
The complaint chronicles oft-heard charges against the county's code enforcement officers and about the surface water management fee that officials have already addressed.
The complaint also will cite the county's controversial, but successful efforts to develop the East Lake Sammamish Trail on the Eastside.
But it's the rural backlash against the package of critical areas ordinances that finally drove Chuck Pillon of May Valley and Ron Ewart of Fall City to prepare the complaint.
A spokeswoman for King County Executive Ron Sims said the accusations are ``totally without merit.''
Next, the FBI will decide whether there's any reason to investigate the charges under the federal racketeering regulations, known as RICO, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
``We are alleging the county is operating a criminal racketeering enterprise,'' Ewart said.
He and Pillon have evidence and witnesses to support their claims, but Ewart offered no details. No one, he said, ``has shined the light of day'' on county operations.
The big question is whether the FBI investigates their claims, he said. Either, they'll ``run with it,'' he said, or say he and Pillon are ``full of beans.''
He tried to head off possible charges that he and Pillon are simply grandstanding. ``This has been growing for a long long time,'' he said.
But Sims' spokeswoman, Carolyn Duncan, said the complaint ``is just more grandstanding by two people who are anti-government.''
Two reports issued earlier this month showed that the county's Department of Development and Environmental Services is more efficient and its customers are happier, according to the county.
Last year, the department announced it would roll back some building permit fees and rebate $2 million to more than 6,000 customers because of new efficiencies.
Dean Radford covers King County. He can be reached at dean.radford@kingcountyjournal.com or 253-872-6719.
Hahahahahahahaha! I'm ssssssoooooo glad!
Not sure what to think here, RICO is a truly dreadful law (Stalin would have loved it) but there is some satisfaction in seeing it used against the bureaucracy.
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