Adjutant General Arrested in Embezzlement Scandal
Ortis Hamilton, a once-respected public official, faces charges of stealing thousands from the state of Washington to fund a lavish lifestyle.
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Former Adjutant General Ortis Hamilton, against whom charges of embezzling militia funds have been preferred, is in conference with Governor Hay. He is being taken into custody for the embezzlement of $1,188, though the total shortage may reach $20,000. It is alleged that Hamilton used fraudulent vouchers to secure state money, which was then squandered on Florence Moore, a woman living in Seattle who also goes by Hazel Moore. The investigation has sent shockwaves through Olympia, as Hamilton was until recently considered one of the state's most promising young public figures.
“This money, it is charged, has been squandered on a woman of the underworld who has been living in Seattle.”
Political corruption scandals involving state funds were common in the Progressive Era, often centering on the misuse of government vouchers. Today, public scrutiny of state expenditures remains a cornerstone of government accountability in Washington.
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