HeraldNet: Ethics panel clears Jeff Sax [of Breaking the Law, but not of Behaving unethically]

HeraldNet: Ethics panel clears Jeff Sax:

"Snohomish County Councilman Jeff Sax may have bent county rules, but he didn't break them when he leaked documents marked confidential to opponents of the Brightwater sewage treatment plant.
That was the ruling of the Snohomish County Ethics Commission on Friday."

Well, he squeaked by this time, but

"The commission's 3-1 decision turned on the lack of clarity in county code over exactly what the word "confidential" means, commission chairman Bill Higgins said.

"He didn't break the law, but he definitely broke the appearance of fairness doctrine," Higgins said."

Apparently investigations are still underway on the state level to see if he broke any laws.

Unfortunately, this is one of those difficult issues. Let's face it, if a council member who didn't have the overwhelming support of the Developers had done this, I'd probably support it. The problem I have with Sax is not his support of the Brightwater opponents, but the is his support of the Developers who would like to build this county from one end to the other. And the amount of money that he has gotten from those developers. And the apparent quid pro quo that is evidenced by the weakening of the development regulations by the council.