Episode #22
Ep. 22 Wait Until You Hear This One
What happens when you walk into court for your own Public Records Act case and accidentally stumble into an election scandal? In this episode of the Public Records Officer Podcast, Jamie Nixon tells the bizarre story of how a forgotten coat and tie left him sitting in a Thurston County courtroom for Elduen v. Grays Harbor County — where Judge Christine Schaller said a Grays Harbor election was not properly conducted, described conduct as apparently intentional and willful, found bad faith and agency dishonesty, and called it “interference with the election process.” At the center of the case: a candidate lot-draw record that disappeared, a ballot order that was changed, text messages that were never preserved, and an elections administrator who testified that he had gone through four or five phones “almost like we change our shirts.” It’s a story about elections, disappearing evidence, judicial deterrence, and the uncomfortable question of what happens when public accountability depends on luck. Support the show Transcript + Source Docs: Get the full hyperlinked transcript and all documents referenced in this episode: thepublicrecordsofficer.com Sign up for updates: Join our mailing list for future episodes and investigations thepublicrecordsofficer.com Support the show: We’re powered by public records and public support. Buy us a coffee https://coff.ee/thepublicrecordsofficer About WashCOG: The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) fights for transparency and accountability in Washington State. Learn more: washcog.org Tip of the hat to the musicians who created the music used on the show: Alex Grohl , Ian Post , Jakub Pietras , lumine wave , Roberto Pravo , Solis , ...
