OLYMPIA (WA)
NBC [Yakima, WA]
March 2, 2026
By Mark Rattner
The Washington State Court of Appeals has ruled that the Attorney General’s Office can investigate whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sex abuse.
This decision comes after Governor Bob Ferguson, who initiated the investigation as Attorney General, pursued an appeal following an initial court ruling against the office.
“As a Catholic, the church must do the right thing and engage in a public accounting of how the church handles allegations of child sex abuse,” Governor Ferguson said in a release. “That’s why I started this investigation when I was Attorney General. This ruling is an important win for transparency. I am asking church leaders to reflect and pray about this unanimous court decision and stop fighting this investigation.”
The Attorney General’s Office had served a subpoena on the Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of Seattle in July 2023, aiming to investigate how the church in Washington has handled allegations of child sexual abuse.
Subpoenas were also sent the Diocese of Spokane and the Diocese of Yakima, according to the release.
The subpoena sought records regarding clerics accused or suspected of sexual abuse or misconduct from as far back as January 1, 1940.
The Archdiocese initially quashed the subpoena in superior court, arguing it was exempt from the Attorney General’s investigative authority. However, the appeals court ruled that the exemption for religious corporations should only be applied narrowly to protect their constitutional rights, allowing the investigation to proceed.