Judge rejects effort by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to get records from Catholic church

FILE - Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson arrives for a bill signing on April 27, 2023, at the University of Washington’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health in Seattle. A Washington state judge said Friday, July 12, 2024 that Ferguson is not entitled to enforce a subpoena seeking decades of records from the Seattle Archdiocese, despite his assertion that the records are needed to learn whether the Catholic church used charitable trust funds to cover up sexual abuse by priests. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

Judge Michael Scott sided with the archdiocese, which argued that under the state’s law governing charitable trusts, Ferguson did not have authority to enforce the subpoena. The law contains an exemption designed to ensure the state does not meddle in religious practices.

Nevertheless, Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne said in a written statement after Friday’s decision that the church is willing to provide the state with relevant records and collaborate with Ferguson on the investigation “in a lawful manner.”

“Sexual abuse in the Church is a heart-wrenching part of our history, and I am deeply sorry for the pain caused to victim survivors, their families and all Catholics,” Etienne said. “We remain focused on the need for healing and proper governance in these matters. ... Because we are committed to preventing abuse, promoting transparency and continuously improving our processes, my offer to collaborate with the attorney general still stands.”

Ferguson, himself a Catholic, said his office would appeal. The state argued that the exemption in the law does protect religious practices — but that using charitable trust money to conceal or facilitate sex abuse was not a religious practice.

Ferguson filed the case in May, saying the church was stonewalling its investigation by refusing to comply with the subpoena.

At the time, the archdiocese called his allegations a surprise, saying it welcomed the investigation and shares the state’s goals — “preventing abuse and helping victim survivors on their path to healing and peace.”

Church officials said the records sought by the state were excessive and irrelevant — including every receipt going back to 1940, in an archdiocese with more than 170 pastoral locations and 72 schools.

Some 23 states have conducted investigations of the Catholic church, and so far at least nine have issued reports detailing their findings. In some cases, those findings have gone far beyond what church officials had voluntarily disclosed.

https://apnews.com/article/washington-clergy-sex-abuse-e83b77ef19247cea2f5f0af1e5ddd95d