OLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced May 9 that his is taking legal action against the Archdiocese of Seattle, accusing it of withholding documents related to clergy sexual abuse.

“Washingtonians deserve a public accounting of how the Catholic Church handles allegations of child sex abuse and whether charitable dollars were used to cover it up,” Ferguson said at a morning news conference.

“The objective is to daylight these findings,” added Ferguson, who is Catholic.

The archdiocese disagrees with Ferguson’s claim that it has not cooperated with requests for documents. Ferguson announced that his office is asking a judge to compel the archdiocese to release documents it has requested that have not been made public; the archdiocese said it has been cooperating with the attorney general’s office since last summer.

Helen McClenahan, the archdiocese’s chief communication officer, released a statement following Ferguson’s news conference. It says, in part:

“We have been collaborating with the Attorney General’s legal team on the shared legal analysis, which is common for investigations like this. Today’s press conference was a surprise to us since we welcome the investigation and have been working closely with the Attorney General’s team for months now.

“In fact, earlier this year the Archdiocese of Seattle asked the Attorney General’s Office if we could hold a joint press conference to announce this investigation and share our sincere desire to cooperate so that we can transparently share information without divulging the privacy of victims and re-traumatizing them. The Attorney General’s Office denied this request, stating that they do not speak publicly about ongoing investigations. 

“The Attorney General’s claim that we have not ‘shared a single document that is not public’ is not how we see it. In fact, on Monday of this week we offered to submit a series of private deposition documents. The Attorney General’s office responded that they are not interested in these private documents.”

In a news release issued before the news conference, the archdiocese said the attorney general’s office in July 2023 “issued a subpoena for files related to how the Archdiocese of Seattle has handled allegations of sexual abuse and how we are protecting children through our Safe Environment program.”

“The Archdiocese of Seattle has welcomed this opportunity to cooperate with the attorney general since we received his original request,” the archdiocese said. “We have been collaborating with the Attorney General’s Office for the past 10 months to demonstrate how the Archdiocese of Seattle has handled allegations of sexual abuse and how we are protecting children.”

In late April 2024, the archdiocese said, the attorney general supplemented the subpoena with some new requests.

“Our legal team is cooperating in the process of this statewide investigation, having responded to the subpoena and the associated documents request,” the news release said. “The Archdiocese of Seattle has already turned over some of the requested information.”

Among the information Ferguson said he’s seeking is whether the archdiocese used charitable funds to cover up abuse. He said such action would violate the state’s Charitable Trust Act.   

“There is reason to believe that the Seattle archdiocese knew about certain priests’ abusive behavior but used its resources to protect and support the abusers instead of their victims,” Ferguson said at the news conference. 

The archdiocese said it has been transparent in its handling of sexual abuse claims, publishing names of credibly accused priests (a list formed with the help of former FBI executive Kathleen McChesney), creating the Protect & Heal website to support abuse victims and help others to come forward, and forming the Archdiocesan Review Board, which advises the archbishop on issues related to sexual abuse of minors by clergy and assists him in assessing allegations and fitness for ministry. That board includes mental health professionals, a former federal prosecutor and a former King County deputy prosecuting attorney.

“We have a good understanding of the content of our files, and we have no concern about sharing them with the attorney general lawfully and fairly,” the archdiocese said. “Over the years, the Archdiocese of Seattle has opened its files for review by law enforcement and independent outside organizations.”

The action against the Archdiocese of Seattle is part of a statewide investigation that includes the Yakima and Spokane dioceses, which have also received subpoenas. In a news release, the attorney general’s office said it “has not yet taken action against the Spokane and Yakima dioceses, but is prepared to do so if they refuse to comply.”

Also speaking at the news conference was a representative of Heal Our Church, a local organization. In addition, a statement from a clergy abuse survivor was read.

Ferguson did not answer questions from members of the Catholic Accountability Project, who said they support his investigation, about whether his office is also seeking documents from religious communities of priests, brothers and sisters that have operated in the state separately from the three Catholic dioceses.

Archdiocese’s news release: English | Spanish

Archdiocese’s statement after Ferguson’s news conference: English | Spanish

Watch the attorney general’s news conference: Replay on TVW

Archdiocese of Seattle commitment to healing, prevention 

The Archdiocese of Seattle is committed to preventing the crime of sexual abuse and providing support and healing for victims and their families. Only by addressing this issue directly, will victims and the Church find healing. However, based on the recommendations and guidance of professionals, we must do so in a way that protects the privacy of victims and ensures they are not re-traumatized. 

To report any suspicion of abuse by any Church personnel, please contact local law enforcement. In addition, anyone who has knowledge of misconduct by a member of the clergy, an employee or a volunteer of the Archdiocese of Seattle is urged to call the archdiocesan hotline at 1-800-446-7762.