OLYMPIA, Wash.-The state of Washington is taking legal action against the Archdiocese of Seattle regarding whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up sex abuse.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on May 9 that his office is looking into whether three Washington dioceses covered up alleged abuse by clergy members.
“Washingtonians deserve a public accounting of how the Catholic Church handles allegations of child sex abuse, and whether charitable dollars were used to cover it up,” Ferguson said.
The Seattle, Spokane and Yakima Dioceses were sent subpoenas in the summer of 2023, followed by a new round of subpoenas in the spring of 2024 seeking accounting and financial records, according to the AG’s Office.
It has long been the policy of the AG’s Office to not comment on investigations, including to confirm or deny that they are taking place, according to a press release on the legal action.
However, the Seattle Archdiocese has refused to comply with the subpoena and a court order is now required for the investigation to proceed, the investigation has been made public.
The AG’s Office has filed a petition in King County Superior Court to enforce the subpoena and is asking the court to consider the case on May 22.
Under the Charitable Trust Act, the AG’s Office has the authority to investigate an organizations’ use of charitable funds.
If the announced investigation finds any violation of the law, the AG’s Office will take steps to seek justice and put measures in place to ensure that children are not exposed to abuse in the future, according to today’s press release.
The three dioceses in Washington are organized as a “corporation sole” that holds assets in trust for religious and charitable purposes.
According to the AG’s Office, its investigation hopes to uncover whether these charitable funds were used to conceal the sexual abuse of Washingtonians.
“Our goal is to use every tool we have to reveal the truth, and give a voice to survivors,” Ferguson said.
