Federal Government Barred Port Angeles Attorney From Practicing Before The Social Security Administration

Port Angeles attorney Lane Wolfley was stripped of his ability to represent clients before the Social Security Administration nearly a decade ago, yet he continues to draw a lucrative, taxpayer-funded contract from Clallam County.

According to federal records, Wolfley, a well-known attorney based in Port Angeles, was officially designated as disqualified from practicing before the federal agency on November 17, 2017.

This federal action is reserved for representatives who are found to have violated provisions of the Social Security Act or regulations relating to the representation of claimants and beneficiaries. Under federal routine use policies, the Social Security Administration publicly discloses these disqualified individuals on its website.

Despite this federal disciplinary action, Wolfley currently holds an active contract with Clallam County, receiving a taxpayer-funded rate of $6,250 per month.

Systemic Vetting Failure

The county’s ongoing employment of a federally disqualified attorney highlights a systemic failure in how local officials screen their contractors, a vulnerability recently documented by the state.

A Washington State Auditor report for Clallam County, published in December 2025, found that the county lacked adequate internal controls for ensuring compliance with federal suspension and debarment requirements.

In one specific instance detailed in the audit, the county paid a contractor without obtaining a written certification, inserting a required clause into the contract, or checking federal exclusion records to verify the contractor was not suspended or debarred prior to the agreement.

County officials have acknowledged the gap in their vetting process, but a permanent fix remains stalled by internal bureaucracy. According to the state auditor’s report, Clallam County is in the process of amending its procurement policy to mandate that suspension and debarment language be present in all agreements and contracts entered into by the county.

However, the county admitted to the auditor that this proposed policy change is currently stuck in review with the county’s legal civil division. The county stated the policy update has been delayed due to limited staff bandwidth and very high workloads, noting they only hope to have the process completed sometime in 2026.

Commissioner Mark Ozias did not respond to inquiries prior to publication regarding whether the county plans to review or terminate its agreement with Wolfley.