YAKIMA, Wash.-The Washington Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into the Archdiocese of Seattle on May 9 for possibly using charitable funds to cover up sex abuse.
The Attorney General’s Office subpoenaed the Yakima Diocese in July of 2023 and reissued the subpoena in April 2024 as part of the investigation.
The Yakima Diocese responded to the announcement of the investigation in a written statement, saying it expressed it’s willingness to “work cooperatively with the AG, all public institutions that serve children and youth, and all communities of faith, for a thorough study of the history of abuse of minors, and how to effectively prevent it” last summer.
According to the Diocese, the recent subpoena is not authorized by any statute, and it runs afoul of the guarantees of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of Washington.
The Diocese of Yakima objects to the subpoena based on its First Amendment rights and the fact that much of the information sought through the subpoenas is available online, according to today’s statement and urged the AG’s Office to drop the subpoena, saying:
“As leaders of the Yakima Diocese’s 170,000 or so Catholics, we encourage the AG’s Office to drop this subpoena, and actively work with us to more thoroughly study the past, and work effectively together in a transparent manner to bring about true and lasting change for the protection of children and youth, the compassionate care and healing of victims, and true accountability for all.”
