Sunday, August 31, 2008

Fred Walser Fails to Keep Confidences

Some people are angry at us for posting the truth about Fred Walser. They call it "mud-slinging." But we don't make irrelevant personal attacks, or spread lies, as Walser is doing about Senator Val Stevens. We are giving facts, and providing evidence, about subjects that are directly relevant to Walser's ability to serve in elected office.

For example: Walser's pattern of not keeping confidences as part of his official capacity as a public servant, improperly revealing confidential information to department personnel, and to the media.

In our review of the Pepperell scandal, we learned that as part of his coverup, Walser -- despite specifically being told not to -- warned Pepperell that she was to be interviewed by the Washington State Patrol as part of their official investigation of her. Of course, this potentially allowed Pepperell to conduct further coverups, in preparation for that interview.

And it wasn't the first time. In 1994, he did the same thing.

In his May-June 1994 appraisal -- as part of his probation as a new lieutenant with the WSP -- he was told:
Statements of worth of his subordinates from administrative staff should not be broadly discussed in an open forum. ... He has shown a tendency to let stress control his emotions. This was demonstrated when Internal Affairs served a no contact order. ...

Fred has divulged comments of other command staff to other employees. Items of employee performance discussed at staff meetings will be kept confidential. Comply with the Internal Affairs' directive to not have contact with anyone regarding their investigation. You may only discuss this issue with myself. Phone calls and written correspondence apply.


His problems with keeping confidences were not limited to personnel investigations, but also included, on multiple occasions, revealing confidential information about pending criminal cases to the news media, against department regulations, and jeopardizing a criminal prosecution.

In August of 1991, a truck ran a stop light and killed the driver, as well as a mother and her 12-year old daughter. Walser told a reporter that he had never seen such a blatant case of "wanton disregard for public safety. ... It's the most aggravated case of blatant disregard for life I have ever seen."

By this time, King County Prosectors had not even yet decided whether to prosecute the trucking company, and his written reprimand noted, "Detailed information and personnel opinions relating to the defendant's guilt were prejudicial and argumentative to a criminal case."

Mistakes happen, but just over a year later, he did the same thing again. This time he didn't merely receive a reprimand for releasing information, but got an additional violation for insubordination, and lost two days of leave.

Any elected official must be able to keep confidences to do their job. Walser has shown on multiple occasions over many years, and leading up to the incident that resulted in his criminal conviction and one-year jail sentence this June, that he is sometimes either incapable or unwilling to do so.

1 comment:

Valentina, Heart of a Lion said...

Fred Walser, assigned main point of contact in the Pepperell investigation, was told WSP was coming to do a "mirror" of Pepperell's police computer from Detective Swainson. Swainson specifically told Walser not to inform Carole Pepperell about the "mirror" of her computer as well as the Sultan Police Dept. computers so it did not compromise the investigation.

WALSER did exactly what he was told not to do, he told the "alleged suspect" about the mirror image of her computer by investigators. Now, what do you think the "suspect" was going to do when tipped.

Walser certainly did manipulate and tamper with an investigation. He should in no way be a Senator. He's a good ole boy with a record!

Keep guys like this out of office by voting for Stevens.