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Ethics violation complaints

Learn about ethics violation complaints and how to file one.

The King County Code of Ethics (152KB) covers all county officials and employees. It provides guidelines for public employees to prevent conflicts of interest.

Filing an ethics complaint

Before filing a complaint, review the Ethics Complaint Filing Guidelines (56KB). If you believe someone is in violation, please contact the Ombuds Office before filing your complaint. Once you file a complaint, we will give the respondent a copy per County Code (KCC 3.04.055c).

To file a complaint, download and complete the Ethics Complaint Form (180KB). Please provide specific details and any relevant records you may have.

You can send completed complaint forms to us by email, fax, or postal mail. We encourage emails and faxes as physical mail may be delayed.

After you file your complaint

We review it to determine if it meets the criteria for an investigation. We may decline to investigate after our review. We can also dismiss unfounded complaints.

Our investigation will determine whether reasonable cause exists that an ethics violation occurred. We'll provide a written report following the investigation. You may appeal our findings to the Board of Ethics.

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