Rep Simmons Faces Ethics Probe

Washington state Rep. Tarra Simmons, the first formerly incarcerated lawmaker in the state legislature, is facing ethics charges alleging she used her position to help a friend land a job at a nonprofit she’s connected to and diverted leftover campaign funds to another nonprofit she once worked for. Simmons, who appeared before the ethics board with her emotional support dog, denied the allegations, calling the hiring suggestion personal—not official—and arguing campaign surplus donations aren’t tied to legislative duties. A separate accusation involving a $500K grant for a nonprofit she was contracted with was also addressed, with both she and the nonprofit’s director clarifying her role wasn’t funded by that grant. A third complaint about social media harassment was dismissed, as the posts were made on her private Facebook page. Simmons, who has overcome a turbulent past including foster care and incarceration, insists she takes her public service role seriously and is committed to accountability. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ae054cd7c1ca7b80