A Costly Pursuit of Justice in Clallam County
County commissioners face backlash for spending more on legal fees than the amount they hope to recover from a former treasurer.
The board of county commissioners in Clallam County has employed Charles Lever of Port Townsend to audit the books of former treasurer M.J. Clump, for which services he is to receive $800. The board also hired Seattle attorney John Miller to assist in settling with Clump and his bondsmen, at a cost of $1,400 in general fund warrants. This action has sparked opposition, with critics arguing it is not a business proposition to spend $2,200 to collect a debt of $2,100. Furthermore, the county is already $60,000 in debt beyond legal limits, leading to threats of an injunction against the issuance of more warrants. Meanwhile, Clump remains in hiding, having disappeared from Tatoosh Island.
“It is not a business proposition for the county to expend $2,200 in collecting a debt of $2,100.”
The absurdity of spending more on legal recovery than the debt itself is a classic example of bureaucratic mismanagement. It highlights the recurring frustration citizens feel when public funds are used inefficiently to chase down minor corruption while the city faces larger fiscal crises.
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