Federal Way mayor at center of police investigation

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Federal Way police have asked the state patrol to investigate the city’s mayor over the retrieval of his campaign signs from the city’s sign impound area.

Federal Way police said an officer saw Mayor Skip Priest’s car on Sept. 24, shortly before 10 p.m., backed into a corner outside the fence of a city-owned building located north of the Federal Way City Hall.

Police said the car appeared suspicious and immediately caught the attention of the officer because of the time of night and the way the car was parked.

The Community Development Department uses the fenced area to store signs that have been seized for being illegally placed.

The officer reported the incident to the on-duty patrol supervisor.

The following day, Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson asked the patrol commander to investigate the incident.

As per city code, seized signs can be returned to their owners after a fine is paid for each sign.

Some investigative work yielded a statement from a city employee who said Priest paid for the seized campaign signs.  A check from Priest was deposited in the city’s account on Sept. 25.

Wilson decided that in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, the Washington State Patrol should conduct a review of the facts surrounding the incident and determine if prosecution or other review is needed.

KIRO