Clallam County Watchdog

Commissioner Mike French recently called himself “pretty close to a free speech absolutist.” That may surprise residents who remember public comments being cut short, monthly Q&A forums canceled, and one critic suddenly losing Zoom video access after challenging the county’s story on the Dungeness Reservoir. The bigger problem? That critic, John Worthington, keeps turning out to be right. “I am pr...

What happens when someone who spent years deep in addiction finally turns their life around—and starts speaking out about the very policies they believe are making the crisis worse? In this powerful Sundays With Seegers podcast-only episode, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Port Angeles community advocate and entrepreneur David Rogers for one of the most candid conversatio...

The Jamestown Corporation’s newsletters used to be publicly available online. Now they’re much harder to find. But when the county’s second-largest and fastest-growing employer quietly outlines its plans, projects, partnerships, political relationships, land ambitions, and economic advantages, the public should probably pay attention. This review of the Tribe’s May 2026 newsletter raises serious q...

A second deposition tied to the turmoil inside the Sequim School District has surfaced, and this time the picture is harder to dismiss. First obtained and reported by the Olympic Herald , the sworn testimony adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that what happened inside the district was not isolated. Complaints appearing in sequence. Information circulating before it should. Individuals o...

A man with a violent, multi-state criminal history is arrested a second time in Clallam County. As patterns mount, officials continue to question whether out-of-area offenders are really coming here at all. Meanwhile, taxpayers are left footing the bill. Gerard Robert Fleetwood, 42, was arrested Friday in Clallam County and charged with interference with a healthcare facility, resisting arrest, un...

Clallam County canceled public meetings despite having a quorum available. At the same time, one commissioner is tied to a Maui conference funded through taxpayer-backed associations, while internal emails reveal extraordinary access, praise, and coordination with powerful interests. The contrast raises a fundamental question: when it comes to time, attention, and influence—who comes first? The co...

In this Sundays With Seegers , Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers lays out a clear case for restoring Olympic Hot Springs Road—and invites the community to take action. With tourism revenue declining, access restricted for over a decade, and no clear federal timeline, this is a grassroots effort to unite residents, support local businesses, and demand accountability. The petition s...

A single image—one child, one beach, one bottle filled with used needles—cuts through the policy debates and forces a simple question: after years of harm reduction policy in Clallam County, where are the measurable results? As officials point to compassion and isolated success stories, residents are left confronting a very different reality—one that can’t be explained away with anecdotes. This Im...

On Monday night, the Sequim City Council approved a Jamestown-drafted letter backing a refuge transfer—despite unanimous public opposition. Federal filings show the Jamestown Corporation opposes added restrictions and favors a streamlined trust process, leaving future access and use subject to change. And there’s a local precedent: land once open to the public was transferred into tribal trust wit...

A question at a public town hall exposed a troubling reality: Commissioner Mike French claims he is “required” to sit on OlyCAP’s board—but that requirement appears to be one he imposed on himself. See how taxpayer dollars flow through nonprofits like OlyCAP, where millions go toward staffing and operations, and where elected officials often sit on boards tied to that funding. With parallels from...

In a federal civil rights case, former Sequim School Board Director Jim Stoffer testified under oath about hiring decisions, internal conflicts, sexual harassment allegations, and closed-door governance. His own words reveal a pattern of deflection, reliance on rumor, and failure to act—raising urgent questions about the leadership still shaping local education and politics. The Olympic Herald des...

A $30,000 complaint over yard signs. A front-page story within 48 hours. And a campaign scrambling to fix a rule change it didn’t know existed. In this Sundays About Seegers , we break down how a minor compliance issue turned into “Signgate 2026”—and what it reveals about politics, media priorities, and the uphill battle facing independent candidates in Clallam County. Thursday marked a turning po...

Clallam County has always been a place where voters think independently. Red one election, blue the next—never locked in, never predictable. But something feels different lately. When party leadership openly aligns with radical ideological activists, it raises a simple question: are local voters still in charge, or are they being led somewhere they never intended to go? At a recent county commissi...

A candidate is threatened. A local advocate has her home targeted. Behind it all is a pattern: an activist network, publicly funded nonprofits, and a system that resists scrutiny while ignoring the people footing the bill. County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers received a message through his campaign website this week: “I’m going to do everything within my power not to get you elected.” The se...

Olympic Medical Center isn’t just underperforming—it’s consistently ranking near the bottom compared to hospitals nationwide, according to its own patient experience data. While leadership points to challenges and staffing pressures, the numbers reveal something more troubling: a system where patients feel unheard, uninformed, and underserved—and where those trends aren’t improving. If you want to...

At Thursday’s Public Safety Town Hall, 172 Clallam County residents packed the Fairview Grange Hall for an unfiltered, two-and-a-half-hour exchange with local leadership. What emerged wasn’t just a discussion about crime—it was a revealing look at priorities, philosophies, and a growing disconnect between elected officials and the people they represent. Democracy, Unfiltered There was no moderatio...

In this Sundays With Seegers , County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers highlights a pattern many residents may miss: while leaders say housing affordability is the county’s top issue, they continue raising permit, septic, and environmental health fees—adding costs to anyone trying to build or buy. Seegers points out these aren’t isolated increases, but a deliberate strategy of annual hikes plus...

If you’ve been wondering what’s really happening in Clallam County—and why the same names keep showing up in police reports—tonight is your chance to hear directly from those responsible. This isn’t theory. It’s not policy language. It’s real cases, real patterns, and real consequences. And it’s happening in your community. Tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Fairview Grange Hall on Lake Farm Road...

Just three months into his role on the Port Angeles City Council, Mark Hodgson is already aiming higher—announcing a run for the State House while pushing one of the city’s most expensive and controversial policies: keeping all public bathrooms open 24/7. But as questions linger about his past attendance, residency, and priorities, critics are asking whether this is leadership—or the early signs o...

The North Olympic Library System is asking voters to approve a significant tax increase—but critics say the modern library looks very different from the one taxpayers think they’re funding. From shifting priorities to declining usage, here are the key facts worth considering before you cast your ballot. A Changing Institution For generations, libraries have been seen as quiet, neutral places—focus...

What started as “co-stewardship” may be the final step in a much longer strategy. Documents—and now outside reporting—show the Jamestown Corporation has been laying the groundwork for years to control the Dungeness and Protection Island National Wildlife Refuges—raising serious questions about access, accountability, and what happens next. There’s a difference between stewardship and ownership—and...

This isn’t a polished talking-point interview—it’s raw, uncomfortable, and real. In this Sundays With Seegers podcast-only feature, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Jen, a recovering addict who has lived the cycle so many policymakers only talk about. Now housed but still fighting for sobriety, Jen opens up about her past homelessness, her ongoing recovery, and the painful...

While county commissioners here debate letters of support and hold work sessions, a federal program has already transferred nearly 3 million acres into tribal control—by design. The same strategy now mirrors what’s happening in Clallam County, where land, influence, and decision-making power are steadily shifting. The question isn’t whether this is happening. It’s whether anyone representing local...

For years, the Jamestown Tribe’s newsletter was public. Now it’s restricted—available only to Tribal citizens who request it. Why the sudden change? After reviewing the latest issue, the answer may be uncomfortable: a steady stream of taxpayer-funded projects, expanding benefits, and business activity that directly competes with local residents—all happening with limited public visibility. There w...

When Commissioner Mark Ozias responds to concerned citizens, a pattern emerges: blame Washington, D.C., defend current policies, and dismiss the role of local decision-making. But the conditions on the ground in Clallam County tell a different story—one shaped not by distant policymakers, but by years of choices made right here at home. If you haven’t subscribed to Clallam County Letters , you’re...