WA state board fines Ferguson for ethics violation

State Executive Ethics Board members approved a proposed fine on Gov. Bob Ferguson during a Friday board meeting after it was found he violated the Ethics in Service Act when he allowed his former top aide Mike Webb to fly on a state plane last year.

As part of the agreement, Ferguson was fined $4,000 - half of which will be suspended if he does not commit any other ethics violations within two years. He has 45 days to pay the other $2,000. Ferguson agreed to the settlement on April 27.

Board members clarified during the meeting Friday that reimbursement to the state for the flight was factored into the fine, and was calculated using flight hours.

The ethics complaint was first brought forward in late July. Board members in January found reasonable cause to believe the governor violated ethics laws.

Webb was not a state employee at the time of the June flight. He had resigned earlier last year over allegations he had created a hostile work environment for some women while employed as the governor’s chief strategy officer.

Regardless, he was allowed to fly on State Patrol aircraft for a meeting in the Tri-Cities on the same day the governor flew to the area for work-related business, the complaint said. Ferguson later admitted the move to staff in a meeting.

In an earlier response to the board, Ferguson argued that the “actions did not involve the use of state resources for private gain,” saying that traveling with a guest did not interfere with official duties nor did it provide Webb with “improper advantage derived from state office.” He further argued that the flight was not at capacity, therefore it did not displace anyone nor create any additional costs. Webb told The Seattle Times in July that he rode on a seat over the plane’s toilet.

While Ferguson tried to get the complaint dismissed, board members were not convinced. As part of the investigation the board said it contacted Washington State Patrol to determine costs associated with the use of state aircraft and found that it was billed at $2,094.68 per flight hour. Six of the seven seats on the flight were occupied by the governor’s staff, they said.

In the agreement, the board said Ferguson used state resources “for the private benefit or gain of a non-state employee,” and “provided a special privilege to a non-state employee by allowing them passage on a state aircraft,” both in violation of state ethics laws. The board noted that violations such as these “significantly reduce the public respect and confidence in state government employees.”

Ferguson could not immediately be reached.

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 4:51 PM.