Additional records obtained by the Olympic Herald cast significant doubt on Clallam County’s official claim that there were “no disqualifying events” in the background of newly appointed Court Commissioner Brian Parker.
The documents—comprising internal emails and a heavily redacted discipline certificate—reveal a stark contrast between the county’s public narrative and the private records held by the Washington State Bar Association.
The Washington Bar Association provided the Olympic Herald copies of emails between it and Tom Kuch of Clallam County, who performed the background check on Brian Parker.
The Bar Association also provided us a copy of Parker’s lawyer discipline certification, although it is heavily redacted.
Because the discipline certification is redacted, we are left wondering if there were additional concerns, beyond Parker’s known perjury arrest.
Three full pages of the document are obscured by gray boxes, citing “Confidential disciplinary information redacted per ELC 3.2(a).”
If Brian Parker had a pristine record with absolutely no history of complaints, the certificate would typically state that no records were found. Instead, the presence of multiple pages of redacted material suggests that the Bar Association holds records regarding Parker’s poor conduct—records the public is not allowed to see.
We’re also uploading the remaining emails that the county provided us between Kuch and Basden. They are included below.
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