Ferguson’s top aide resigns over hostile workplace allegations

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s top adviser and closest political confidant resigned Wednesday amid complaints that he fomented a toxic workplace that contributed to the departure of another key administration official.

The exit of chief strategy officer Mike Webb is a huge blow to Ferguson coming at the critical juncture when the governor and legislators are negotiating a path to eliminating a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

He is one of Ferguson’s most trusted advisers and has been at his side in office and during campaigns for more than a decade, including last year’s gubernatorial race. Until Wednesday, he ran point for the governor on policy, legislative, and communications work. His annual salary was $230,000.

“I deeply regret that the allegations of a hostile work environment have created an unhelpful distraction that impacts the team’s ability to do their work, as well as my ability to be effective in the near term,” Webb wrote in his resignation letter released by the governor’s office.

“To be blunt, given the stakes of the work ahead, I cannot stomach that,” he wrote.

His departure comes less than a week after Joyce Bruce resigned as Ferguson’s legislative director. Bruce had worked under Webb’s direction in the governor’s office, and previously in the same role in the Office of the Attorney General.

Following Bruce’s departure several lawmakers, most of them women, voiced concerns privately that Webb’s management style may have contributed to her resignation.

Ferguson late last month also lost a deputy legislative liaison, Shawn Lewis, who worked with Bruce.

The turnover arrives as the first-term governor has had a rocky start with fellow Democrats in the Legislature, beginning with an inaugural address where he embraced Republican themes of austerity and public safety, with barely a nod to his party’s accomplishments.

Days after the speech, the House drew attention when it modified its rules to require the governor’s staff to be invited into the chamber. When the House approved a list of Ferguson staffers who would be granted automatic access, Webb was not on it.

There may be a silver lining to the exodus.

“This provides the governor a very good opportunity to have a reset with the Legislature,” said Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, a Democrat, who has served in the state Legislature and Congress, and was chief of staff to a governor, Booth Gardner. “I hope and trust he’ll do so.”

Ferguson’s so far seen some of his priority policy ideas rejected or revised and the most progressive lawmakers are snubbing or openly criticizing his budget-cutting ideas.

“I don’t know how you don’t lose a little momentum,” with Webb’s exit, said veteran political consultant Ron Dotzauer of Snohomish.

But he added: “You can gain it back when you shuffle the cards on the deck of your administration.”

Ferguson on Wednesday lauded Webb’s service while pledging to retool his administration.

“I wouldn’t be governor without Mike,” Ferguson said in a statement where he accepted Webb’s resignation. “Going forward, in addition to doing the work of the state, we will work on our leadership structure and how we work as a team to serve the people of Washington.”

Ferguson told the Standard late Tuesday morning that he had not asked Webb to resign. Later in the day, the governor said he would “take any allegations against any member of my team extremely seriously, no matter how close that person is to me.”

On Wednesday, his office did not respond to questions concerning how Ferguson investigated the allegations and whether he came to any conclusions on their veracity.

Ferguson said Shane Esquibel, his chief operations officer, will serve as interim chief of staff while the governor re-evaluates his office’s organizational structure.

Two Democratic state senators, Yasmin Trudeau and Mike Chapman, publicly acknowledged allegations against Webb they had heard from those working in the Ferguson administration.

Trudeau, in a statement to The Seattle Times, said she had “heard serious concerns from current executive staff and former campaign staff about a hostile and toxic workplace culture and specific stories about their own experiences with one individual.”

Webb, in his resignation letter, acknowledged the concerns.

“I know how important a collegial work environment is to you,” he wrote. “I am proud that in my twelve years of public service, I never raised my voice or cursed in anger, and I made every effort to treat colleagues with civility and to live up to the high standard that you personally set.”

“That said, if I have ever fallen short of my best self in this fast-paced, high-stress environment, I apologize to you and the entire team,” he wrote. “I am a work in progress and will continue working every day to grow.”

Trudeau had first-hand experience with Webb. He was her boss when she worked for Ferguson when he was attorney general. On Tuesday, she said the governor had not reached out to her regarding Webb’s resignation.

Chapman, in an emailed statement, said that a male staff member in the governor’s office who was not personally a victim confided to him about “the bullying and erratic behavior of Mr. Webb and how broadly it was already impacting many staff members of both genders who were just trying to do their job.”

He had kept it private but said Tuesday that when it became a “public matter” he felt an “ethical duty” to share what he knew “to support women who may not otherwise be believed or taken seriously.”

Chapman said Wednesday he’s committed to working with Ferguson the remainder of the session.

“I believe that it’s important for the Legislature to work closely with the Governor over the next six weeks to ensure we deliver results for the challenges Washington faces,” he said in an emailed statement that contained no mention of Webb.

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