Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse was removed from her board and commission assignments this week as the county investigates a “brief dating relationship” with a colleague, an attorney representing the first-term commissioner told The Chronicle Thursday afternoon.
Maia Robbins, an attorney at Seattle-based law firm Corr Cronin, told The Chronicle that both the relationship and the employment “recently ended,” and that the county has opted to conduct the investigation “out of an abundance of caution.”
The investigation is not criminal.
“She is cooperating fully with the investigation and looks forward to its conclusion, which will reveal nothing more interesting than someone dating their coworker: something that happens every day in America’s workplaces,” Robbins wrote.
The response comes after Clouse was temporarily removed from her county-appointed boards and commissions following an executive session on Tuesday.
A Democrat, Clouse was elected to the Thurston County Board of Commissioners with 59.9% of the vote during the 2023 election. Clouse was sworn in during a November 2023 commissioners meeting.
According to a motion by Commissioner Carolina Mejia and seconded by Commissioner Wayne Fournier at the Aug. 13 meeting, alternates will temporarily fill the positions “until an investigation is complete.”
Clouse, who was present before the executive session Tuesday, did not retake her seat when the commissioners returned approximately 35 minutes later. In an email to The Chronicle Friday, Fournier said he believed the executive session was necessary “to address sensitive issues that required confidentiality.”
According to Robbins, the move to strip Clouse from her committee and board assignments was “a regrettable exercise in overkill and not warranted by the actual circumstances of the relationship.”
In an email to The Chronicle Thursday, fellow Commissioner Tye Menser echoed Robbins’ sentiment that Clouse’s removal was unnecessary at the moment.
“I think that was a premature step at this point and I would not have voted for it had I been present,” Menser wrote.
Menser, who was not present at Tuesday’s meeting, specified that the complaint did not involve him “in any way.”
“I chose not to participate in the executive session based purely on process-related advice given to the Board by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office,” Menser said.
While he said he understood Menser’s “concerns about the process,” Fournier said the executive session was held “based on the need to ensure that the discussions could be conducted in a secure and private manner.”
Clouse’s appointments include the animal services committee, the disability board, the emergency food and shelter program, the law and justice council, ORCAA, the regional housing council, the Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative Executive Committee and the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization, according to a county biography,
Clouse also serves as the vice chair of the Regional Housing Council and is a member of the Board of Health.
After The Chronicle attempted to contact Thurston County Manager Leonard Hernandez Wednesday, Meghan Porter, a spokesperson for the Board of Commissioners, confirmed Clouse is the focus of the investigation, but said she “cannot provide information on the nature of the investigation.”
“While the investigation is ongoing, the alternate commissioner assigned to each of Commissioner Clouse’s advisory board and commission assignments will represent the Board of County Commissioners,” Porter said in a statement.
According to a statement attributed to Fournier, the investigation will focus on “allegations of misconduct.”
“I understand the importance of transparency and accountability in such matters. At this time, Thurston County is fully committed to ensuring a thorough and impartial investigation is completed,” the statement reads. “The suspension is intended to ensure the integrity of the investigation and allow the Commissioner time to fully participate. This investigation is important as we work to uphold our commitment to the values of our community and standards of fairness and due process.”
Commissioner Gary Edwards, who voted in support of the move Tuesday, said he believes commissioners “took the action it believed it needed to take.”
“We’re trying to make sure the taxpayers aren’t stuck with a bill they shouldn’t be stuck with,” Edwards told The Chronicle.
The results of the investigation — which is being conducted by a third party — will be made public, Edwards said.
What happens after the investigation is completed, however, is unclear.
“She looks forward to rejoining her boards and commissions as soon as possible, and continuing to do the work that earned her the support of 60% of the electorate in the last election,” Robbins wrote.
While he said he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the ongoing investigation, Menser said the board “will take appropriate action once those facts are ascertained.”
Fournier said he would work to “foster a transparent and fair process” while the investigation is ongoing. Once completed, he said supported “appropriate action in accordance with our policies and legal requirements” depending on the investigation’s outcome.
“This may involve disciplinary measures, training, or other corrective actions,” Fournier said.
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