Jessie Stensland reports from Island County for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
A hubbub over a mask mandate in the Island County Elections Office spawned county, statewide and national attention last week.
A conservative nonprofit group in Eastern Washington and the Island County Republican Party officially took sides against the mandate. The New York Post, a conservative tabloid newspaper…, ran a story about the Island County prosecutor charging Tim Hazelo, the former chairperson of the county Republican Party, with a felony for alleged unauthorized access to a voting center.
On Feb. 18, the Silent Majority Foundation, an Eastern Washington organization, filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief in Island County Superior Court on behalf of Hazelo, Tracy Abuhl and James Peterson. The lawsuit was filed against Island County government as a whole and also names [Auditor Sheilah] Crider, Prosecutor Greg Banks and Commissioner Jill Johnson as defendants.
The complaint argues that neither the auditor nor the canvassing board — which consists of the auditor, prosecutor and the chair of the board of county commissioners — have the authority to make health rules; it asks a judge to declare the mask mandate void.
In addition, the Island County Republican Party officials voted to adopt a resolution asking Crider, who is a Republican, to rescind the mandate.
A resolution for the county Republican Party to fund Hazelo’s legal defense expenses did not pass.
They Said It
“Police were called on the 57-year-old when he refused to follow the mask-mandate that Island County Auditor Shelia (sic) Crider had imposed on local ballot-counting rooms — a measure that Hazelo says the elected official had no legal right to establish,” according to the [New York Post] article entitled “U.S. election observer charged with felony after refusing to wear mask during 2024 presidential count.”
“SMF brings this case to protect our election procedures, ensuring that they remain free from discriminatory actions that inhibit the free exercise of our rights regarding fair elections,” the Silent Majority Foundation said in a press release.
“As the party of ordered liberty,” the [Island County Republican Party] resolution states, “we do not dispute the right of any individual who wishes to personally wear a mask, but we do not and cannot support the imposition of a mask mandate on other citizens.”
The New York Post story states that body cam video shows that Hazelo was non-combative but told an election worker “I know who you are” as he left; the election worker said he felt threatened by the comment.
Ed. Note: See also our previous posts:
- ISLAND COUNTY: New charges filed in Elections Office mask case (Jan. 3, 2025)
- ISLAND COUNTY: Motion to unmask Elections Office fails (Nov. 8, 2024)
- ISLAND COUNTY: Police escort unmasked observer from elections office (Oct. 29, 2024)
