Board unethical

To the editor:

The blatant abuse of power demonstrated during the April Ethics Board meeting, by those who have the public’s trust to evaluate whether a councilmember has violated the Code of Conduct or the Ethics Code, was horrible to watch.

Ethics Board member Jim Cash had filed two complaints against Mayor Rasham Nassar. Neither complaint contained a single allegation that was valid, and both complaints were dismissed.

However, the second complaint wasn’t dismissed until after three other “Ethics” board members — Dona Keating, Karen Anderson and Dave Mallon — each maligned Nassar about matters that did not relate to the Code of Conduct or the Ethics Code.

After each got their negative personal opinions about Nassar into the public record (that they knew was being created by the city’s recording of the meeting), one of the others would point out that it wasn’t the function of the board to discuss things that did not pertain to the allegations.

Cash knew what was a violation and what wasn’t, or he would not have been able to evaluate complaints in the past. The same can be said for the other three board members who took the opportunity Cash gave them to provide their negative personal opinions about Nassar and did so in a manner that will live in public record forever. The damage they did can never be undone.

The abuse of power by Cash, Keating, Anderson and Mallon is unacceptable. They should either resign from their powerful positions or the City Council should remove them. It is important to point out that Tyler Weaver, the committee chair, chose not to participate in this abuse.

Cindy Anderson

Bainbridge Island