City Added to Wallin V. Boudreau Lawsuit—Klog 100.7 News

There’s been a new development in the ongoing Wallin v. Boudreau lawsuit, which alleges violations of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) during the controversial firing of former City Manager Kris Swanson. The City of Longview has now officially been added as a defendant in the case, alongside Mayor Spencer Boudreau and Councilmembers Erik Halvorson, Kalei LaFave, and Keith Young.

The lawsuit was filed last year by Mike Wallin, John Melink, and Tom Samuels. The plaintiffs claim that the defendants improperly conducted city business outside of public view during the decision to terminate Swanson. In October, they offered a settlement, which they say was ignored. They claim the offer was aimed at reducing the legal cost burden to city taxpayers after the council voted in June to have the city cover legal fees for the defendants.

According to the plaintiffs, the defendants had insisted that the City of Longview be added as a party to the lawsuit before discovery could proceed. They stated, “We concluded the risk of being denied discovery and our day in court was unacceptable, so we reluctantly agreed to their demands to add the City,” adding that they now hope to resume the discovery process and bring the case to a close quickly with minimal added expense to taxpayers.

Councilmember Erik Halvorson responded publicly on his Facebook page. He criticized the timing of adding the city to the lawsuit, noting it came just days after Mayor Boudreau launched his reelection campaign. Halvorson wrote, “After months of doing nothing, Wallin’s attorney suddenly serves the city the same week Spencer Boudreau announces his re-election campaign. Come on. This doesn’t pass the smell test.” He said the move was politically motivated and said that adding the city means the plaintiffs are “suing all of us.”