Court Denies Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Request for Documents from Catholic Church

A judge in Washington state has ruled that Attorney General Bob Ferguson cannot enforce a subpoena demanding decades of records from the Seattle Archdiocese. The subpoena aimed to investigate whether the Catholic church used charitable trust funds to conceal sexual abuse by priests. The judge sided with the archdiocese, stating that the state law on charitable trusts exempts religious practices from state interference. Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne expressed willingness to provide relevant records and collaborate lawfully with the investigation.

Etienne acknowledged the painful history of sexual abuse within the Church, apologizing for the suffering caused to survivors and their families. Despite the court ruling, the archdiocese remains committed to transparency, preventing abuse, and improving processes. Ferguson, also a Catholic, plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing the importance of accountability regarding the church’s involvement in the sexual abuse crisis. The attorney general argued that concealing abuse with charitable funds does not qualify as a religious practice.

Ferguson initiated the case in May, accusing the archdiocese of impeding the investigation by refusing to comply with the subpoena. The archdiocese expressed surprise at the allegations, stating its cooperation with the investigation and shared goals of preventing abuse and aiding victim survivors. Church officials deemed the requested records excessive and irrelevant, spanning back to 1940, considering the large number of pastoral locations and schools within the archdiocese.

Several states have conducted investigations into the Catholic church, revealing shocking findings beyond what church officials disclosed voluntarily. Illinois and Maryland investigations unveiled extensive instances of sexual abuse by clergy, with more victims than initially reported. The Seattle Archdiocese has acknowledged 83 clerics with credible abuse allegations and introduced policies to address and prevent sexual abuse since the 1980s, noting a decline in reported cases since 2007.