Governor Ferguson statement on court decision allowing investigation into Catholic Church’s handling of child sex abuse allegations

OLYMPIA - Governor Bob Ferguson offered the following comment on a decision from the Washington State Court of Appeals agreeing that the Attorney General's Office can investigate whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sex abuse by clergy. Governor Ferguson, then Attorney General, initiated the investigation and went to court to enforce the subpoenas. Governor Ferguson was in the courtroom during oral argument at the trial court, which initially ruled against the office, and pursued the appeal resulting in today's ruling.

"As a Catholic, the church must do the right thing and engage in a public accounting of how the church handles allegations of child sex abuse," Governor Ferguson said. "That's why I started this investigation when I was Attorney General. This ruling is an important win for transparency. I am asking church leaders to reflect and pray about this unanimous court decision and stop fighting this investigation."