The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) will not investigate a complaint filed by whistleblower Patricia Petersen, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner’s (OIC) administrative-law judge. Petersen’s complaint stated that OIC Deputy Chief Jim Odiorne “improperly contacted her and tried to pressure her to decide cases the way Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler wanted.”
According to the Seattle Times, the auditor’s whistleblower manager wrote that “there are other avenues for Petersen to address her assertion of improper contact.” Due to the fact that SAO refused to investigate her complaint, Petersen’s complaint will be publicly released.
The OIC previously stated that, as Petersen’s supervisor, Odiorne is “allowed to talk with her.” OIC spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said there would be an “internal investigation” into Petersen’s allegations of improper influence. Of course, given the fact that Kreidler placed Petersen on leave and Odiorne is unaffected, we all guess how the “internal investigation” ends.