HJM 4014

H-3171.1
  HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4014
State of Washington  69th Legislature      2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Graham, Couture, Marshall, Chase, Barnard,
Mendoza, Burnett, Stuebe, Ley, Schmidt, Barkis, Jacobsen, Eslick, and
McEntire
Read first time 01/29/26.   Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
1     TO THE HONORABLE DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
2 AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
3 REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
4 THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO PAM BONDI, THE
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE UNITED STATES
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE:
7     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of
8 the   State  of   Washington,   in  legislative   session   assembled,
9 respectfully represent and petition as follows:
10     WHEREAS, Independent journalist Brandi Kruse has conducted
11 extensive investigations revealing potential fraud in Washington
12 state's child care subsidy programs, including admissions by the
13 state auditor that hundreds of millions of dollars in payments are
14 impossible to properly audit due to noncompliance with federal
15 tracking requirements; and
16     WHEREAS, Kruse's reporting has uncovered whistleblower evidence
17 of self-dealing within the state's community reinvestment program,
18 where taxpayer funds appear to have been used for personal enrichment
19 by individuals connected to nonprofits administering the program; and
20     WHEREAS, Kruse has highlighted cases where women seeking debt
21 relief through minority-focused programs reported being misled and
22 mistreated, further indicating systemic issues in fund distribution;
23 and
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1     WHEREAS, The Center Square has reported on potential fraud in
2 Washington state's taxpayer-subsidized child care centers, including
3 instances where licensed facilities received substantial subsidies
4 despite appearing inactive or nonoperational; and
5     WHEREAS, The Center Square investigations have drawn parallels to
6 federal raids in Minnesota over similar child care fraud schemes,
7 spotlighting vulnerabilities in Washington's Department of Children,
8 Youth, and Families (DCYF) subsidy system that may have cost
9 taxpayers millions; and
10     WHEREAS, The Center Square has documented democratic lawmakers
11 criticizing journalistic probes into these allegations, while
12 republican   lawmakers  call   for  independent   audits  to  address
13 unaccounted funds nearing $500,000,000; and
14     WHEREAS, The Center Square has reported frustration from
15 legitimate day care owners over alleged fraud within the Somali
16 community, with DCYF claiming to investigate reports but downplaying
17 the extent of issues; and
18     WHEREAS, Representative Jim Walsh, as Washington State Republican
19 Party Chairman, has been involved in a lawsuit challenging the
20 attorney general's disparagement of efforts to preserve public
21 records related to widespread taxpayer fraud, alleging state
22 employees altered and deleted records in violation of the Public
23 Records Act; and
24     WHEREAS, Walsh and the Washington State Republican Party, along
25 with journalist Jonathan Choe, filed an injunction in Thurston County
26 Superior Court to prevent the state from deleting public records tied
27 to subsidized child care centers amid fraud allegations; and
28     WHEREAS, The Washington Attorney General's Office has supported
29 efforts to protect and expand investigative subpoena powers, as
30 evidenced by coleading a Supreme Court brief arguing against
31 restrictions that could hinder probes into violations of state laws,
32 including consumer protection and antitrust issues; and
33     WHEREAS, Such expansions could include broader authority for
34 investigators to issue subpoenas and potentially use undercover
35 tactics, raising concerns about overreach in light of ongoing fraud
36 allegations; and
37     WHEREAS, Attorney General Nick Brown has publicly advised
38 citizens questioning potential fraud in Somali-run day cares to
39 report harassment via the state's Hate Crimes & Bias Incident
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1 Hotline, framing independent investigations as potentially unsafe or
2 harassing behavior; and
3     WHEREAS, Brown's statements have been criticized as threats
4 against journalists, with warnings from federal officials that such
5 actions could violate civil rights and expose him to scrutiny; and
6     WHEREAS, Attorney General Brown has acknowledged allegations of
7 fraud in taxpayer-funded programs but pushed back on their
8 credibility, stating no evidence of criminal activity while declining
9 to provide updates on investigations into nonprofit fund misuse; and
10     WHEREAS, Brown's office seeks to maintain broad investigative
11 powers over businesses and individuals, yet has refused to
12 substantiate or pursue many fraud claims, prioritizing harassment
13 reports over fraud probes; and
14     WHEREAS, These actions may constitute a potential violation of
15 the Attorney General's oath of office, as they appear to prioritize
16 political considerations over faithful enforcement of laws against
17 fraud and abuse of public trust, with no apparent investigation or
18 oversight from the Washington Supreme Court; and
19     WHEREAS, Attorney General Brown has been accused of inappropriate
20 conduct, including a Washington State Bar Association investigation
21 into his failure to disclose office contracts in a legal brief, which
22 was dismissed only after media inquiries, raising questions about
23 transparency and ethical lapses;
24     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the
25 President of the United States direct the United States Department of
26 Justice to initiate a thorough investigation into these allegations
27 of fraud in Washington state's taxpayer-funded programs, the Attorney
28 General's handling of such claims, potential violations of public
29 records laws, and any related misconduct that may undermine public
30 trust and federal oversight requirements.
31     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
32 transmitted by the Secretary of State to the Honorable Donald J.
33 Trump, President of the United States, Pam Bondi, the Attorney
34 General of the United States, the United States Department of
35 Justice, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
36 the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the
37 State of Washington.
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