Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson fined for improper use of state plane for private journey

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson violated state ethics regulation by permitting a former aide to fly on a state plane for private journey, in line with a ruling by the Washington State Executive Ethics Board.

The board concluded Ferguson improperly used state sources and granted a particular privilege when he invited former Chief Strategy Officer Mike Webb to hitch him on a Washington State Patrol aircraft in June 2025.

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The incident stemmed from a grievance filed on July 30, 2025, alleging Ferguson permitted a non-public citizen to journey on a taxpayer-funded plane assigned for official gubernatorial use. The grievance stated Webb, who had left state employment months earlier, was touring for non-government functions.

According to stipulated info accepted by the board, Webb resigned from the governor’s workplace in March 2025 however was allowed to accompany Ferguson on a June 26 flight to the Tri-Cities, the place each had separate engagements. Ferguson stated he provided Webb an empty seat on the aircraft as a result of the flight was not at capability.

Ferguson acknowledged the choice was a mistake, stating in a written response that the invitation “may have given the wrong impression” that Webb nonetheless had a job within the administration.

The governor argued the flight didn’t value the state further cash and didn’t displace any workers. The plane, which has seven seats, carried six authorities personnel on the journey and is billed at $2,094.68 per flight hour, in line with the Washington State Patrol.

Despite these arguments, the ethics board decided the usage of the plane for a non-state worker didn’t qualify as minimal or incidental use below state guidelines. The board discovered Ferguson violated provisions of the Ethics in Public Service Act that prohibit utilizing public sources for personal profit and securing particular privileges for others.

As a part of a settlement, Ferguson agreed to pay a $4,000 civil penalty, with $2,000 suspended on the situation that he commits no additional violations for 2 years.

In its findings, the board famous the violation may undermine public confidence in authorities and recognized no mitigating components within the case.

Ferguson waived his proper to a proper listening to as a part of the settlement, which was formally accepted by the ethics board in May 2026.