16,500+ signatures to recall Sheriff Hatcher turned over to Benton election officials

After five months of gathering signatures in diverse weather and political climates, the committee leading the charge to recall Benton County Sheriff Jerry Hatcher is handing over what they believe are enough to get the issue on a ballot.

The 822 petitions turned in to Auditor Brenda Chilton on Friday include 16,552 signatures.

The group broke its goal of 16,500 signatures during a final push canvassing neighborhoods Thursday night, and organizer and West Richland resident Kathlen Wierschke said they couldn’t be more ecstatic.

In order to put the question before Benton County voters whether the embattled Hatcher should be removed from his elected office, the recall committee needed to submit 13,937 valid signatures.

The extra signatures give them a more than 15% margin of error.

That takes into account issues like people who signed but are not registered to vote or residents who moved within the county and did not update their address with the Auditor’s Office.

Chilton will call an election to be held if she finds the submitted signatures are sufficient.

That means the recall can be on a ballot for a special election in June, or part of the August primary.

On Friday, Wierschke, sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Erickson, and members of both the Benton County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild and the “Committee to Recall Sheriff Hatcher” gathered outside the Benton County Voting Center in Richland before collectively handing over the petitions.

The stack of paperwork — about 10 inches thick — was separated into a couple boxes.

Wierschke thanked the residents of Benton County for turning out, both in the hundreds of volunteers who worked at signing stations and canvassing over the last five months and the people who signed the petitions.

“You can’t do it without the support of the community,” Wierschke told the Tri-City Herald. “That’s who we are asking to help us on this, and it’s been a long process. We are super grateful.”

Hatcher maintains the union is trying to take over the sheriff’s office management and diminish its accountability. He has repeatedly and emphatically denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he will be exonerated of any criminal allegations.

Recall petition

The effort to have Hatcher ousted was started by Erickson over allegations the sheriff intimidated witnesses and public servants in investigations, retaliated against them, tampered with physical evidence and violated his oath of office.

Erickson was backed by his union in filing a recall petition last July.

The proposed ballot synopsis with eight charges was approved by a Walla Walla County Superior Court judge in August.

And the state Supreme Court’s nine justices issued a unanimous ruling on Nov. 5 that cleared the way for the recall effort to move forward with a six-month deadline to gather the signatures.

The high court, in denying Hatcher’s appeal, only needed to determine “the factual and legal sufficiency of the alleged charges” for the effort to advance.

It will be up to the voters to decide if those allegations are true and worthy of removing Hatcher from the position he has held since May 2017.

Hatcher appealed the Superior Court judge’s decision on Erickson’s petition and said it was disappointing when the state’s highest court gave the recall the green light.

He also is under criminal investigation by the Washington State Patrol for allegedly forcing his estranged wife in October 2019 to recant statements of domestic abuse. He was charged then with felony witness tampering for one week before the case was dismissed because investigators needed more time.

As an elected official, Hatcher can only be removed from office in a county election. He also can step down voluntarily before his term is up at the end of 2022.

‘Difficult time’

“Sgt. Jason Erickson and the members of the Benton County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild took an oath to the citizens of Benton County,” said the guild’s lawyer Alan Harvey of Vancouver. “By their actions, it is clear that they believe that their oath is more important than allegiance to a colleague or, more specifically here, the sheriff, a political figure.”

“They have all worked hard to comply with the recall process, and it appears they have succeeded at this point in gathering more than a sufficient number of signatures to end the term of a corrupt sheriff,” continued Harvey. “A sheriff who is currently the subject of an open criminal investigation — that is in addition to and separate from the eight allegations proven at a preponderance before the State Supreme Court.

“The members of the (guild) are a beacon of courage and integrity in a difficult time for law enforcement.”

The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police also commended the successful collection of the required number of signatures, “marking another important next step in the recall process.”

“Trust is one of the most integral components of our work as peace officers,” Marco Monteblanco said in a news release. “Regrettably, Sheriff Hatcher’s actions have raised serious concerns about whether he can maintain that trust with the public and his service as an elected official.”

Monteblanco is a Kennewick police detective and president of the nonprofit organization that represents nearly 3,000 law enforcement officers in Washington.

“The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police supports the public’s right to vote on whether Sheriff Hatcher should continue to serve as the county’s top law enforcement officer,” he added. “The people of Benton County deserve to decide this important question.”

This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 11:45 AM.