Tri-Cities Republican cleared of Black Lives Matter complaint for ‘offensive’ comments
A Tri-Cities legislator has been cleared of ethics complaints leveled against him by the Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance.
The alliance accused Rep. Brad Klippert of Kennewick of making “several offensively inappropriate comments, unbecoming of an elected officials ...”
But the state Legislative Ethics Board ruled Klippert was within his rights when he intensely questioned some grief-stricken speakers testifying for bills aimed at police reforms.
The state Constitution says legislators aren’t liable “in any civil action or criminal prosecution, whatever, for words spoken in debate,” said the decision signed by Judge Terry Lukens.
“The board holds that when legislators ask questions or make comments to persons testifying on bills during an official legislative committee hearing, those comments or questions cannot constitute harassment,” Lukens wrote.
Klippert was one of three Republican lawmakers the alliance complained about. Rep. Jenny Graham, R-Spokane, and Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen also were cleared of any wrongdoing for the same reason.
“I did not feel I did anything wrong,” Klippert told the Herald. “I just asked clarifying questions as I have for the last 12 to 13 years ... I totally agree with the conclusion of the ethics board.”
Klippert, who is a Benton County sheriff’s deputy, said he wouldn’t do anything to harass anyone, but he will continue to question people and will share his honest opinion.
“These kind of allegations are not going to change who I am,” he said. “I don’t think I have done anything wrong. I will try to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
The Washington Black Lives Matters Alliance wasn’t immediately available Tuesday to comment on the ruling.
Washington legislature
The alliance filed the complaints against the three representatives in mid-February as bills were making their way through Legislative committees.
Activists criticized Klippert’s questions, saying they were aimed at marginalizing and discrediting Blacks, Sakara Remmu, the lead strategist for Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County told the Seattle Times.
At the time, Klippert said he was shocked about the alliance’s complaint.
In all, the alliance pointed to 11 comments of concern, mostly drawn from committee hearings, involving a perceived lack of sensitivity.
Of the five police reform bills involved in the complaint, three passed the Legislature. They included House Bill 1054, which makes several changes to how officers can enforce the law. It includes a ban on police neck holds and sets limits on when an officer can start a vehicle pursuit.
During testimony for the bill, Klippert brought up Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl who was strangled by an inmate in 2011. He pointed out to the bill’s sponsor that Biendl wouldn’t be able to use a neck restraint to save her life.
He also asked Sonia Joseph, whose son was killed by Kent police, if she had evidence that her son was stopped because he was black.
His questioning was viewed by some as having little concern for the feelings of a mother who’d lost her son.
In another bill, which would have expanded the definition of criminal mischief to include displaying weapons with the intent to intimidate others or that “warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.”
Following the hearing, the committee chair Rep. Drew Hansen sent out a email apologizing to supporters of the bill that he left the hearing get out of control.
“I want to apologize for how the hearing proceeded today — specifically, for how some members of the committee treated several of you,” he said, according to the ethics decision.