Summary: An independent investigation ordered by Gov. Ferguson has fully vindicated the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, exposing public records violations and legal misconduct by WA Fish and Wildlife Commissioners.
Last week, a fourteen-month-long, independent investigation requested by Governor Ferguson fully vindicated the claims made by the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) on our formal petition submitted May 16, 2025 and a supplemental submitted June 27, 2025, to the governor requesting the removal of four Fish and Wildlife Commissioners.
While the broad investigation covered wide-ranging commission governance issues, it uncovered critical evidence of legal misconduct involving Commissioner Melanie Rowland that SAF has immediately brought to the attention of both the governor and the court.
Public Records Violations and False Court Testimony
The independent report validated serious transparency concerns, highlighting a severe violation of the law by Commissioner Melanie Rowland regarding a mandatory public records request:
- Intentional Withholding: The independent investigator concluded that Commissioner Rowland intentionally chose not to respond to SAF’s lawful public records request.
- Falsified Court Declarations: Commissioner Rowland previously submitted a signed declaration to the court, under penalty of perjury, claiming she had thoroughly searched for and surrendered all relevant records.
- Internal Warnings: Department leadership openly doubted the validity of her declaration at the time it was used to successfully close the legal request.
- Admission of Non-Compliance: Commissioner Rowland later admitted directly to the independent investigator that she still has not responded to the public records request and is not actively working on it.
“The facts here raise serious concerns that Commissioner Rowland committed felony perjury by making a materially false statement to the court,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel for Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “According to the independent investigation, others did not believe her statement to be true when she made it, and she has since acknowledged that she has not complied with the request, which is not what she told the court.”
SAF Takes Direct Action to Restore Accountability
The Washington Constitution explicitly requires the governor to ensure that state laws are faithfully executed. Because these public officials have demonstrated an inability to uphold the law, SAF has taken immediate action:
- Demand Letter to Governor Ferguson: We sent an official letter to the governor highlighting this misconduct and demanding the immediate removal of Commissioners Barbara Baker, John Lehmkuhl, Melanie Rowland, and Lorna Smith without delay.
- Motion for Legal Sanctions: We filed a formal court motion to sanction the department for submitting false declarations. The report clearly shows individuals hid behind false statements to the court rather than complying with public records laws.
“The Washington Constitution requires the governor to ‘see that the laws are faithfully executed,’ something that these commissioners have repeatedly shown that they cannot do. And the court’s role is to administer justice,” Jean continued. “We hope the governor and the court will take this new evidence into account and act accordingly.”
Issues like these are at the heart of the Sportsmen’s Alliance mission. Don’t stand on the sidelines, join us as a member or a donor of the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund in protecting tomorrow’s hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions.
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