Emily Clouse: Censure, Settlement, and Recall Ruling

Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse was formally censured by her fellow commissioners in December 2024 over her handling of a workplace relationship with a subordinate aide, and a recall petition seeking to remove her from office was later dismissed by the Washington Supreme Court in February 2026. The censure and recall of Emily Clouse arose from the same underlying conduct but produced opposite results: a unanimous political rebuke from the Board of County Commissioners, followed by a court ruling that the alleged facts did not legally justify putting her recall to voters. She is now seeking re-election to her District 5 seat in the August 2026 primary.¹²

What Triggered the Controversy

Clouse hired Allyn Hershey as her executive aide after taking office. According to the third-party investigation and court records, she had a preexisting personal and intimate relationship with him before the hire. She reviewed county nepotism and conflict-of-interest policies and concluded the relationship was not prohibited.³ Clouse ended the romantic relationship about a month after Hershey started working for her but kept him on staff.

During the period when the personal and professional relationships overlapped, Hershey sent Clouse $1,500 for a plane ticket to Japan and $50 for gas, and also provided coffee, food, and other gifts. Clouse did not repay any of these amounts. The investigator could not determine whether the $1,500 was a loan or a gift.⁴

On July 26, 2024, Clouse fired Hershey roughly 30 minutes after he reported her to Human Resources.⁵

The Third-Party Investigation

The Board of County Commissioners hired Seattle-based workplace consultant Robin L. Nielsen to investigate. Nielsen concluded that Clouse likely did not sexually harass or retaliate against Hershey. But the report also found that Clouse “likely acted against the best interests of the county,” hid the romantic relationship with her subordinate, accepted money from him without repayment, blurred professional boundaries, and violated internal ethics and employee conduct policies.⁴

The investigator also found no indication that Hershey’s job was dependent on the personal relationship, a point that later mattered in the recall litigation.³

The Board’s Censure Vote

The Board acted in stages. On August 13, 2024, it voted to remove Clouse from her appointed advisory boards and commissions.⁶ On December 6, 2024, it issued a formal statement saying the investigation had uncovered “breaches of trust and ethical violations,” including “deliberate deceptive behavior,” “misuse of public resources,” and “inappropriate personal gain.” The Board added that the conduct described in the report “would result in the termination of any regular County employee,” while acknowledging it lacked authority to remove an independently elected official.⁷

On December 11, 2024, the Board passed a formal censure resolution on a 4-0 vote, with Clouse abstaining. The resolution said Clouse had failed to uphold principles of “ethical governance, transparency, accountability and professionalism” and that her actions “jeopardized the county’s integrity, damaged its reputation and diminished public confidence in its leadership.” It expressed a “loss of confidence in her judgment and leadership” and asked her to commit to professional development and responsible hiring practices before selecting a new aide.¹

Clouse pushed back on the language, calling the “deliberate, deceptive behavior” characterization “inflammatory, misleading and disproportionate.”⁸ At the same meeting, the Board voted unanimously to reinstate her to her regional board and commission assignments.

A censure is a formal statement of disapproval. It does not remove an elected official from office, and in Washington a county commissioner can only be removed by voters through a recall.

The $300,000 Settlement

Separate from the censure, Hershey pursued a legal claim against the county. He submitted a tort claim seeking $750,000 on September 27, 2024, and his attorney, Edward Earl Younglove III, filed suit in Thurston County Superior Court on November 27, 2024, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, and suppression.⁵

The case settled quickly. Hershey signed a $300,000 settlement on December 27, 2024, and County Manager Leonard Hernandez signed it on January 2, 2025. The county used its insurance through the Washington Counties Risk Pool to cover the payment. Hershey agreed to dismiss the lawsuit and refrain from further claims, and he resigned from county employment on January 3, 2025.⁵

The Recall Petition

On December 12, 2024, one day after the censure vote, Olympia resident and open government advocate Arthur West filed a recall petition against Clouse with the Thurston County Auditor. West alleged malfeasance, misfeasance, and violation of her oath of office, arguing that conduct “sufficient for a county employee to be fired” should be enough to remove a commissioner.⁹

The petition contained five charges. The first two alleged that Clouse committed a recallable offense by hiring someone with whom she had a personal relationship, continuing that relationship, and accepting $1,550 and other items without repayment. Charges three through five alleged that she benefited from the relationship while creating risk for the county, failed to limit that risk, and violated internal ethics policies.³

Superior Court Review

Under Washington law, a recall petition must clear a sufficiency review before signature gathering can begin. A visiting Superior Court judge reviewed the petition in January 2025 and dismissed all five charges. Charges three, four, and five were dismissed as factually insufficient for lacking specific acts, dates, or times. The judge amended charges one and two to include specific dates and found them factually sufficient, but then dismissed them as legally insufficient for failing to explain how the conduct constituted misfeasance, malfeasance, or a violation of the oath of office.³

On May 1, 2025, the county commission denied Clouse county-funded legal representation for the recall appeal.⁶

Washington Supreme Court Ruling

West appealed to the Washington Supreme Court, which issued its opinion on February 26, 2026, in In re: the Recall of Emily Clouse, No. 103800-3. Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis wrote for the majority, affirming the trial court. The court described its role as a “gatekeeper” against “frivolous, harassing or unsubstantiated charges” and held that none of the five charges were both factually and legally sufficient to proceed to signature gathering.²

On the two strongest charges, the court held that West failed to identify a specific law, rule, or standard that Clouse’s conduct violated; failed to show that her discretionary hiring decision was “manifestly unreasonable”; and failed to demonstrate that her actions affected or interfered with the performance of her official duties. The court also pointed to the investigator’s finding that there was no evidence Hershey’s job was contingent on the personal relationship.³

The ruling ended the recall effort. Clouse remains in office through the balance of her term, which expires on December 31, 2026.

Where Things Stand: 2026 Re-Election

Clouse announced her intent to seek re-election in January 2026, opened a campaign office on March 1, and filed officially on May 6.¹⁰ Her platform emphasizes environmental stewardship, housing, responsible government, and civic access. As of late May 2026, she had raised roughly $16,510.

She faces two challengers in the August 4, 2026, top-two primary. Nic Dunning, a Lacey City Council member and Marine Corps and Washington National Guard veteran who owns West Coast Fitness, is running as a self-described “moderate Democrat” focused on economic development and small business, and had raised about $21,773, including $15,000 of his own money. Michelle Gipson, vice president of the North Thurston Public Schools Board, is running as a Democrat focused on housing affordability, public schools, and transparent government, and had raised roughly $3,418.¹⁰

The censure remains on the record. The recall did not. Whether either shapes the outcome now rests with District 5 voters.

1
The Olympian. Thurston County Commissioners Censure Clouse
2
The Spokesman-Review. Supreme Court Rules on Petition To Recall Thurston County Commissioner
3
FindLaw. In Re the Recall of Emily Clouse
4
The Olympian. Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse Investigation
5
The Olympian. Thurston County Settles Lawsuit
6
The Olympian. Supreme Court Recall Ruling
7
Thurston County, WA. Board of County Commissioners Statement Regarding Commissioner Emily Clouse
8
The Jolt News. Thurston County Rebukes Clouse, Grants Return to Regional Roles
9
The Olympian. Olympia Resident Files Recall Petition Against Commissioner Clouse
10
Yelm Community Online. Two Candidates Look To Unseat Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse