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It often feels like Americans agree on very little these days. When it comes to government corruption, however, we are approaching unanimity. A new Gallup poll found that a record 89% of Americans believe corruption is widespread in government, with agreement spanning the political spectrum.
This extraordinary consensus should be soberly understood for what it implies: our democracy is facing a profound crisis of public confidence. In response, King County has an opportunity to lead the nation in reforming government and rebuilding voter trust. We should take it.
Too much of our political discourse has responded to these concerns not by demanding higher standards, but by lowering them. Rather than address the issue, many political pundits engage in performative “whataboutism,” fixating on the sins of their political opponents while remaining blind to the plank in their own eye.
But voters deserve better. At a time of skyrocketing housing costs, fuel prices, and grocery bills, the stream of reports about official misconduct continues seemingly unabated. Whether the stories involve abuse of the Oval Office, congressional insider trading, state bribery convictions, or gross misuse of public resources by a county assessor, to name just a few, voter concerns about corruption at all levels of government are abundantly apparent.
And it would do voters a disservice to indulge in the fiction that our local governments are somehow above the fray. The Seattle Times recently reported that a King County employee oversaw approximately $813,000 in grant payments to businesses connected to five of her relatives. Furthermore, an investigation by the Office of the Ombuds into the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) revealed improper payments and potential fraud.
I stand with residents who are dismayed by allegations of misconduct in government, especially while they themselves struggle to make ends meet. However, the purpose of this writing is not simply to inflame resentment, but to offer a path toward reform. Over the past year, King County has begun a journey that demonstrates what a meaningful response to justified public distrust can look like.
For years, I called for audits of community diversion and grant programs from both the State Auditor and our local County Auditor. Those requests were ultimately heeded, resulting in an audit of DCHS that produced disturbing findings of potential fraud and waste.
In response, the King County Council unanimously passed a comprehensive grant-reform package I sponsored, followed by legislation introduced by Councilmember Dembowski to create a new Inspector General Division. Building on that momentum, the Council recently approved an ethics reform ordinance I wrote designed to close gaps in conflict-of-interest laws. In addition, Executive Zahilay announced a Better Government Executive Order to improve accountability and transparency.
None of these actions will entirely restore public trust on their own. Collectively, however, they point to a significant opportunity: King County should make it our stated goal to serve as a national model for reform and become one of the most transparent and accountable large local governments in America.
That means the hard work of implementing these reforms must now begin in earnest. Passing them did not bring us to the finish line; it merely brought us to the starting line.
However, the American people do not simply deserve better rules; they deserve leaders who are committed more to ethical government than to electoral victory. No set of reforms, however well designed, can solve this crisis unless government bureaucrats and elected leaders at all levels, from local jurisdictions to the highest offices in Washington, D.C., commit themselves to the transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct the public rightly demands.
While the federal government continues to be consumed by partisan battles over which party is more deserving of voter contempt, King County should aim to demonstrate a better path: one that prioritizes financial responsibility over partisan rhetoric and accountability to taxpayers over fealty to political tribalism.
Americans are asking government at all levels to earn back their trust. King County should lead the way by answering the call.
