A Mid-Month Update: The Olympic Herald’s Reporting

March has already proven to be a relentless month for accountability in Washington State. The tradition of asking hard questions and demanding transparency is one this publication carries forward every single day.

Over the last two weeks, our investigations have uncovered systemic local failures, exposed deep betrayals of public trust, and unfortunately, triggered desperate legal maneuvers designed to silence the press.

Here is a look at what we have brought to light so far this month:

The Fight for Free Speech

This month, an associate of Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brent Basden filed a motion seeking to impose a coercive fine of up to $2,000 per day against this publication.

The goal is clear: to force the removal of articles detailing an investigation into the judge and his associates. Additionally, they are bizarrely demanding that we remove an article about Josiah Hill.

We are actively fighting this disgraceful attempt to silence the press.

Chaos in Clallam County

Our coverage in Clallam County exposed severe gaps in how local officials vet those entrusted with public funds and vulnerable populations.

• We reported that attorney Lane Wolfley continues to receive a lucrative $6,250-per-month taxpayer-funded contract, despite being officially disqualified from representing clients before the Social Security Administration nearly a decade ago.
• We reported that Johnny Watts, the former Coordinator for Clallam County’s Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts, was arrested during an armed standoff in Agnew with a loaded firearm and suspected drugs.
• This arrest subsequently led investigators to dismantle a massive Kitsap County fentanyl ring operating out of a hotel room at the 7 Cedars Casino.
• Further investigation revealed Watts had previously been arrested for felony domestic violence in Texas in 2023, while still employed by the county’s therapeutic courts.
• Following the abrupt exit of former Court Commissioner Brian Parker, the county officially opened the search for his replacement.

Judicial and Legal Misconduct

Accountability in the legal profession has been a major focus of our reporting.

• We published a video of Judge Brent Basden actively discouraging a parent from cooperating with a Child Protective Services investigation from the bench.
• The Washington State Supreme Court upheld the disbarment of attorney Stephen Kenneth Monro for stealing from vulnerable clients, including entirely depleting the settlement of a special needs orphan.
• Tacoma attorney Hari L. Alipuria permanently resigned his license after treating his client trust account like a personal ATM to pay for Amazon purchases and HOA dues.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Our reporting continues to highlight systemic failures to protect children and patients across the state.

• A King County judge sentenced Buckland Lee Darrell to an additional 51 months in prison for using his relationships within a Redmond LDS church to sexually abuse children.
• We covered a lawsuit alleging the LDS Church actively concealed the predatory behavior of a Seattle high priest in the 1980s, despite numerous red flags.
• State regulators suspended multiple professionals, including a Bethel School District PE teacher for boundary violations and on-campus misconduct, and a Bellevue nursing assistant who pled guilty to providing cannabis and tobacco to a minor patient.

Across the State

We also tracked critical stories spanning multiple counties:

• The City of Mercer Island lost $420,351 in a phishing scam due to a severe breakdown in internal verification controls.
• A former Moses Lake physician was arrested following an exchange of gunfire with a U.S. Marshals task force in Florida.
• A state audit detailed the financial deterioration and uncollected water fees of the Aeneas Lake Irrigation District.

Keeping the Olympic Herald Independent

We still have half a month ahead of us, and the investigations will not stop. Independent, reader-supported journalism is the only way this work continues.

Operating without corporate backing allows us to follow the paper trails and ask the uncomfortable questions that others ignore.

Right now, defending against a $2,000-a-day legal threat designed to bury our coverage requires significant resources. If you value this level of transparency and investigative rigor, please consider supporting our legal defense and operational costs.

You can upgrade to a paid Substack subscription or make a one-time contribution of any amount to my GoFundMe.

Every contribution ensures that we keep bringing these truths to light. Thank you for reading, and thank you for standing with the Olympic Herald.