Our First Five Months: The Power of Independent Journalism
Five months ago, The Olympic Herald was launched with a single, uncompromising mission: to provide fearless, independent investigative journalism that holds power accountable.
In an era where corporate media conglomerates control the narrative and routinely ignore local corruption to protect their bottom lines, we set out to follow the paper trails, attend court hearings, and ask the uncomfortable questions that others are simply too compromised to ask.
Because we operate entirely without corporate backing, we don’t answer to wealthy corporate donors or investors.
We answer to you, the citizens. And over the past five months, the truth has finally seen the light of day.
What we uncovered over the past 150 days has shaken the foundations of the local political and judicial establishment.
From federal drug indictments reaching the heart of our drug courts to school cover-ups, The Olympic Herald has proven that an independent press, backed by an engaged community, can dismantle the most deeply entrenched power networks.
As we look toward the future—including the exciting launch of our printed newspaper in August and our new website launch next week—we need your support to keep fighting.
This five-month anniversary marks a critical milestone, and we need your support to ensure that the light of truth continues to shine.
Over the past 150 days, we have published a total of 233 articles across Washington State. You can read every single one of our articles by visiting The Olympic Herald’s online archive.
Protecting Our Students
Beyond the courthouse, our most widely read and impactful reporting has centered on holding public and religious institutions accountable for protecting our children.
We exposed a devastating, decades-long cover-up within the Sequim School District, where an entrenched administrative clique known as the “six pack” systematically punished whistleblowers and shielded abusive executives.
This failure to monitor predators cost taxpayers and insurers more than $2.35 million in civil rights settlements.
We have also kept Sequim parents informed on current school board capital projects and budget cuts, documenting their emotional advocacy to save the school choir amid looming budget cuts on June 4.
Similarly, we detailed severe institutional negligence at the Quillayute Valley School District.
For over 20 years, district administration consistently relied on a playbook that prioritized quiet resignations and liability management over student safety and transparent accountability.
This culminated in a federal trial where a jury found QVSD liable for creating a hostile work environment, awarding a former coach $250,000 in damages.
We deepened this investigation with explosive federal Office for Civil Rights complaints alleging that QVSD ignored physical assaults, enabled racism, and blackmailed families to conceal their failures.
We also tracked school accountability on Bainbridge Island, where the district faced a second federal lawsuit as a former employee demanded $5 million, and a federal complaint alleging that Bainbridge Island School District ignored a teacher’s abuse.
This battle for student safety extends into the religious institutions operating in our communities.
Over the past five months, we have reported on allegations of systematic child abuse, alleged exploitation, and alleged cover-ups within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Our reporting uncovered shocking allegations of child sex abuse and interstate trafficking, including lawsuits alleging that LDS leaders in Issaquah trafficked a child to Spain for abuse by a known predator, and Seattle LDS leaders threatening parents to cover up child abuse.
We have closely monitored federal lawsuits across Washington—including Ridgefield and Redmond—exposing how the LDS church has relied on a controversial “no legal duty” defense in court to avoid liability for allegedly failing to report abuse, and tracked the criminal prosecution of former Wenatchee LDS Stake President charged with wire fraud.
Unmasking the Courthouse Crisis
The most staggering revelations of our first five months centered on the deeply entrenched cronyism and systemic failures within the Clallam County Superior Court.
We broke the story on the appointment of Family Court Commissioner Brian Parker, revealing that he had been fast-tracked into his position by then-Presiding Judge Brent Basden.
After our persistent reporting exposed Parker’s troubling background and stalking allegations from local residents, he was ultimately terminated.
But Parker’s removal only scratched the surface. On May 20, the legal fallout escalated dramatically when a civil lawsuit was amended alleging that Brian Parker sexually harassed a domestic violence survivor and conspired to strip her of custody.
Our investigations into Judge Basden exposed a terrifying reality for vulnerable families in our region.
We uncovered a documented pattern of Basden utilizing his courtroom to enrich his inner circle, including awarding a lucrative taxpayer-funded contract to represent murder suspect Aaron Fisher to his former business partner, Lane Wolfley—a man previously suspended from the practice of law for exploiting a client.
We also published a courtroom video of Judge Basden actively discouraging a parent from cooperating with a Child Protective Services investigation, telling her that “law enforcement deepens the problem.”
Today, Judge Basden is the subject of a formal investigation by the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct for allegedly allowing his former LDS leadership positions to dictate his rulings and endanger children.
We further documented how Basden weaponized “parental alienation” to justify financial retaliation against mothers, and secretly meddled in LDS litigant-related legal cases despite the appearance of conflicts of interest.
The courthouse crisis reached unprecedented depths with our coverage of former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny Watts. We broke the news when Watts was arrested on drug trafficking and firearm charges.
When court administrators attempted to withhold Watts’s emails under a blanket denial, we took legal action and won a victory under Judge Barnhart.
Watts subsequently faced federal drug trafficking and weapons charges, pleaded not guilty, and was released on bond pending trial on June 10.
Defeating Censorship and the Fight for Free Speech
When an independent press begins dismantling entrenched power, retaliation is inevitable.
As The Olympic Herald continued to publish these uncomfortable stories, the Clallam County Superior Court attempted to disable public commentary and abruptly deleted its entire official Facebook page rather than face public scrutiny.
But the attacks went much further than social media blackouts.
In a chilling attempt to execute a modern-day burning of the press, an associate of Judge Basden filed a motion to impose a coercive fine of up to $2,000 per day against me until I removed over thirty investigative articles.
We refused to be intimidated. Represented by attorney Rasham Nassar, we fought back in court and won a resounding victory for the First Amendment.
A visiting judge formally denied the motion, affirming what we have maintained from the start: exploiting civil harassment statutes to legally gag a newspaper is an unconstitutional prior restraint.
This was followed by a series of victories in May, culminating when a Judge Struck Down Mavy’s Second Attempt to Gag The Olympic Herald on May 29.
To ensure free speech victories protect all independent journalists, I filed a non-party motion in the Court of Appeals, which was granted.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on these past five months, we are also looking toward the future of The Olympic Herald. We have a few exciting announcements to share:
Our New Website Launch: Our new website launch has been delayed, but it is now anticipated to go live by the end of this upcoming week, bringing a completely upgraded and modernized platform to better serve our readers and deliver our investigations more effectively.
Weekly Printed Newspaper: We are officially bringing a printed edition of The Olympic Herald to Clallam County in August. Your donations will directly fund the printing expenses and mailing services required to deliver physical copies to homes, local businesses, and newsstands across the Olympic Peninsula, bridging the digital divide and ensuring every resident has access to the truth.
We Need Your Support to Keep Fighting
These last five months have proven that independent journalism has the power to change our community.
But this work—digging through and purchasing thousands of court records and public records, attending endless hearings, and fighting aggressive, well-funded legal battles designed to silence us—requires significant resources.
The Olympic Herald is 100% reader-supported.
We do not answer to corporate media conglomerates or local political establishments. But to continue holding the powerful accountable, we need your help.
I want to extend my deepest, most sincere gratitude to the 115 people who have contributed to our work to date. Your early trust and financial support have literally kept our reporting alive.
If you are not in a position to contribute financially at this time, you can support our mission just as powerfully by sharing this article with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and encouraging others who are able to make a donation.
Every share, subscription, and conversation helps us bypass corporate gatekeepers and keeps the light of truth shining in our community.
Every contribution ensures that we have the resources to defend the citizens of Washington, follow the paper trails, and keep bringing these vital truths to light.
Thank you for reading, thank you for sharing our stories, and thank you for standing with The Olympic Herald.
How can you contribute
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