Embattled board halts investigation into suspended Port of Benton leader
The Port of Benton commission paused two investigations concerning the executive director at a special meeting Wednesday.
The commission will revisit the investigations after the Washington State Supreme Court rules if recall efforts against the three elected commissioners can proceed to signature gathering.
The commission voted 3-0 to pause two investigations – one into complaints against Diahann Howard, its suspended executive director, and the second into her claim she is the victim of retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged port wrongdoing.
Commission President Bill O’Neil said the commission suspended the investigations by an outside firm based on advice from its lawyer after a 30-minute, closed-door executive session Wednesday morning.
It will revisit the subject after the state’s highest court rules on the recall efforts targeting O’Neil and fellow commissioners Scott Keller and Lori Stevens.
Briefs are due to the justices on May 6.
The three commissioners face being recalled from office by voters after they came under scrutiny following a chaotic start to 2026.
They suspended Howard with pay in January, terminated Alicia Myer, the port’s newly hired audit/finance director in February, and are accused of sidestepping the results of an investigation into misconduct allegations against Keller largely centered on his time as a port employee.
The investigation by law firm Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt looked into 24 allegations in two complaints, one compiled by Howard and the other lodged by former Commissioner Roy Keck.
The law firm found four of the allegations had merit.
O’Neil and Stevens censured Keller for violating a port policy but took no action on the other three findings that Keller may have violated state laws against making gifts of public funds by entering sweetheart deals with himself and a relative before he retired from the port in 2019.
He returned as commissioner after winning a seat in 2022.
Citizens for a Better Port, led by a retired Benton County District Court judge, formed a nonprofit to push the elected leaders from office, saying it was dismayed by their actions and lack of accountability.
It submitted recall complaints targeting all three commissioners. Benton County Superior Court Judge Diana Ruff dismissed many of the individual allegations, but allowed the recall to move forward on other charges.
The commissioners appealed, arguing the recalls should not proceed because they were acting in their individual capacities as elected officials to carry out their jobs.
Next steps depend on whether the court allows any of the recall petitions to advance. If approved, backers will collect signatures from voters, who will make the ultimate decision whether to oust any of the commissioners from their elected positions.
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 3:26 PM.