Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board Member KJ has judged petitions in dozens of Clemency and Pardons Board (CPB) hearings in which he has a financial incentive, a duty to an outside organization, or a personal interest to support the petitioner. This is one example related to a petitioner who was found guilty of killing a former South Whidbey man.
Washington State’s Clemency and Pardons board includes 5 governor-appointed board members who review petitions for pardons or for commutation of sentences; they make recommendations to the governor whether to grant or deny petitions. They also rotation on a Preliminary Review Committee to choose which petition come before the full board.
Board member KJ was appointed to the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board in Fall 2022. At the time of his appointment and continuing to the present, he served as a leader of Fabians Fund which is an organization committed to the liberation of certain groups of people. His primary job is dean of students at Whitman College.
Within 6 months of his Clemency and Pardons Board appointment, he became a compensated board member of Inatai Foundation. Inatai funds Fabians Fund, and it also provides funding to legal organizations who support petitions to the Clemency and Pardons Board, including a group called The Way to Justice. As a compensated Inatai Foundation board member, CPB member KJ has both financial and organizational reasons to support petitioners represented by The Way to Justice.
In the following TVW video excerpts, Clemency and Pardons Board Member KJ introduces himself, the petitioner’s attorney introduces herself, the petitioner describes his actions, and the victim’s son reads a letter written by his mother. Board Member KJ’s remarks described separating the person who committed the crime in the past from who that person is today. The board voted to deny the petition, with only Board Member KJ dissenting.
The TVW website hosts recordings of hearings. The websites and the IRS Form 990s of the organizations show the organizations’ leadership, funding, and distribution of funds.