Franklin County’s top employee bails out as legal troubles mount for elected officials

Franklin County’s administrator is on his way out.

The county is set to lose another administrator amid an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged official misconduct by some of its elected leaders.

Mike Gonzalez will be the second county administrator to leave in as many years, and the latest in a string of high-profile county leadership resignations, all pointing toward the behavior of elected officials as their reason for leaving.

Just last week, the ongoing disruptive behavior in response to the investigation was called out publicly by Sheriff Jim Raymond in a long Facebook post.

“You cannot make this sh&$ up. Some of our Franklin County Electeds are loosing their ever loving minds,” he wrote in the public post.

Gonzalez was granted whistleblower protection in January after the investigation was opened. The Herald learned this week that the criminal investigation has been forwarded to a special prosecutor in Everett to review for possible charges.

Gonzalez’s decision to leave came to light at the end of a specially called county commissioners meeting Tuesday morning. The three commissioners spent about 45 minutes in a closed-door, executive session with county attorneys.

“I move to acknowledge the county administrator has approached the board about severing the administrator’s current employment contract,” Commissioner Stephen Bauman said in an open meeting after the session.

Bauman said that Gonzalez is taking paid personal time off until an amicable decision can be reached. He said they anticipate having an agreement complete by next week’s regular meeting.

Gonzalez, who was not present during the meeting, later told the Herald that he still loves Franklin County and looks forward to reaching an amicable agreement.

“I appreciate the board and the opportunities they gave me,” Gonzalez said.

He could not comment further on the issue.

He was hired in March 2023 at $150,000 a year plus bonuses if he met performance goals, though he declined his second bonus this year.

Before coming to the county, he was the city of Pasco’s economic development manager since June 2021. Previously, he was a public affairs director for Franklin PUD following a career as a television journalist and news anchor.

Criminal investigation

Gonzalez’s departure comes amid a criminal investigation into allegations against several Franklin County elected leaders suspected of official misconduct, witness tampering, criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officials.

The elected officials under investigation are Commissioners Rocky Mullen and Clint Didier, as well as Auditor Matt Beaton.

Snohomish County Prosecutor Elise Deschenes told the Herald in an email Tuesday that the criminal investigation has been referred to their office, but she has not yet decided if anyone will be charged.

Deschenes has been helping sheriff’s investigators to sort through some of the claims to determine if any laws were broken.

In addition to the criminal investigation, Didier also was served with a cease-and-desist letter after allegedly attempting to have the lead investigator’s wife fired from her job in the Office of Public Defense.

Mullen and Beaton are accused of coordinating a meeting to allegedly cover up an attempt to manipulate a payment to Simmons Venue Management for work involving the HAPO Center.

In a secret recording by the county administrator, Beaton repeatedly claims Didier told him to interfere.

After the meeting Mullen and Beaton allegedly pressured Gonzalez to write a letter saying the matter had been resolved in order to end the criminal investigation.

Odd courthouse behavior

Last week, the sheriff took to social media to point out odd behavior he was seeing and hearing about at the courthouse.

He said there had been reports of one elected official making phone calls in the parking lot because he is sure his office is bugged, and noted this same elected official has been attempting to get the commissioners to allow him to conduct forensic audits on HAPO Center businesses.

Raymond was likely referring to Beaton, who repeatedly mentioned attempts to audit Simmons Venue Management during the meeting secretly recorded by Gonzalez.

Multiple county employees interviewed as part of the criminal investigation also claimed that Beaton allegedly discussed trying to audit the former HAPO contractor to find shortcomings in their financial practices.

Raymond wrote that another elected official has had the locks in her office changed because she believes someone is entering her office after hours, saying this has been an ongoing issue with an elected official for eight years.

The sheriff also claimed one county commissioner is convinced county administrator employees and sheriff’s officials are secretly recording him and searching his office for bugs.

He said that the unnamed official also has been setting off non-monitored alarms to check and see how long it takes someone to respond to a call for help. The same commissioner also changed his locks and removed security features in his office.

Raymond said that there are also rumors of elected officials allegedly carrying guns into the courthouse building to “protect themselves.” Raymond said this is a crime, even with a concealed carry permit.

“Law abiding employees and some level reasoning officials are beginning to grow tired of these paranoid antics,” Raymond wrote. “Everyone should keep in mind that the Franklin County Courthouse belongs to the people. Not individuals who were elected to represent the people.”

Check back for updates on this developing story.