FILE - An effort to recall Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is ending after the governor filled two vacancies on the state Public Disclosure Commission. Ferguson, seen here at his 2026 State of the State address, installed two commissioners within three weeks of the filing of the recall petition.
Bill Lucia / Washington State Standard
Campaign finance activist Conner Edwards’ quixotic quest to recall Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson from office was intended to prod the governor into filling two vacant seats on the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.
It worked.
Late Friday, Ferguson appointed Teebah Alsaleh of Seattle, a lawyer for Microsoft, to the commission. Her selection came a week after the governor installed Matt Segal, a founding partner at Pacifica Law Group and former King County Superior Court judge, to the other opening. The first meeting for the two new commissioners will be May 28.
With that, Edwards said he would end his pursuit of a recall.
“While I am disappointed that it took the drastic step of filing recall paperwork to elevate this to Governor Ferguson’s attention, the important thing is that the problem has now been solved,” said Edwards in an email Friday evening.
“Teebah Alsaleh seems like an excellent pick to serve on the PDC and I look forward to hearing her perspective on the many issues now facing the PDC,” said Edwards, a prodigious filer of complaints of alleged violations of campaign finance rules.
Edwards filed his recall petition April 1, contending Ferguson’s failure to fill the openings within a timeline prescribed in state law amounted to misfeasance and a violation of his oath of office.
Those vacancies threatened to impede the panel’s effectiveness in enforcing state campaign finance laws in the upcoming election season, he said. With only three of its allotted five members, all had to be present for the quorum required to conduct hearings and decide cases.
Brionna Aho, Ferguson’s communications director, did not reply Monday to emailed requests for comment on the recall ending. Ferguson has also been silent on the effort to oust him.
In a legal filing Friday, Ferguson did respond to the now-moot petition, arguing that the statute saying the governor shall appoint new commissioners within 30 days is simply a “procedural guide.”
“To require the Governor to appoint a new member to the Commission within 30 days could even lead to adverse consequences by forcing the Governor to rush to appoint a new member without adequate vetting and investigation,” the response continued.
Grumbling over Ferguson’s picks
Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, called into question Monday whether Ferguson’s two appointments will meet the commission’s requirement to have no more than three members from the same political party. None of the three current commissioners is associated with the minority party, he contends.
Segal, whose firm has served as Ferguson’s private counsel, fills the seat vacated by Allen Hayward in January 2025. Hayward was the longtime counsel for the House Republican Caucus.
Alsaleh will assume the seat held by Commissioner Nancy Isserlis, who left last August.
Alsaleh made $50 contributions to Sahar Fathi’s campaign for Seattle City Council in 2012 and Democrat Pramila Jayapal’s campaign for state Senate in 2014, commission records show. Fathi is now one of Ferguson’s top advisers and Jayapal is a Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Clearly neither of these people identify with the minority party,” Schoesler said. “If it is not a violation of the law, it is a violation of the spirit of the law.”
He noted that the Senate Republican Caucus suggested the governor consider Jim Honeyford, a retired state senator from Sunnyside, for one of the open seats.
Neither Segal nor Alsaleh responded to requests for comment.
In a commission press release, Segal said that he is looking forward to serving as a fair and neutral voice, and prioritizing education and guidance for filers.
“Now more than ever it’s important that we act with transparency and that we get it right when it comes to campaigns and elections,” Segal said.
Aho last week, and again Monday, offered some insight into the process that preceded the selections.
“Our office has handled hundreds of appointments, and we look for the same thing every time: Individuals who are smart, qualified, and willing to sacrifice their time for the people of our state,” she wrote in an email.
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