WA’s attorney general is investigating whether the Archdiocese of Seattle used donor money to cover up child sexual abuse

SEATTLE – Washington state’s attorney general is investigating whether the Archdiocese of Seattle used charitable funds to cover up sexual abuse of children by clergy.

AG Bob Ferguson said his office would not normally comment on or acknowledge an active investigation, but the Archdiocese of Seattle has refused to cooperate. Ferguson said his office is taking the archdiocese to court to enforce a subpoena seeking accounting and financial records.

The AG’s office said there is reason to believe that the Archdiocese of Seattle knew that certain priests were sexually abusing children, but that they used their resources to protect their clergy, not the victims. Ferguson cited a specific example in which a Catholic priest, Father Michael J. Cody, sexually abused children for decades but was then moved from parish to parish to hide his crimes rather than face consequences.

The Archdiocese of Yakima and Spokane is also involved in the investigation. Ferguson said his office began the investigation and sent out the first round of subpoenas in the summer of 2023, but all three archdioceses only provided information that was already public. A second set of subpoenas were sent this spring demanding additional information, including accounting and financial records, but the Archdiocese of Seattle refused to respond. Ferguson said he plans to take action against the archdioceses of Yakima and Spokane if they also refuse to comply with the request.

Ferguson asked anyone affected by clergy abuse to contact his office.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Seattle said it had indeed complied with the investigation and responded to the subpoena and provided some of the documents requested. The statement goes on to say that they share a common goal with the AG’s office of preventing abuse and helping victims heal. In a letter to parishioners about the 2023 investigation, Reverend Paul Etienne said the archdiocese had no concerns about the “lawful and fair” sharing of its files and that they would cooperate in the review.