Snohomish Co. Exec Reardon responds to State Patrol opening criminal investigation

Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon responded Thursday afternoon to news that the Washington State Patrol is investigating him over allegations of "misappropriation of funds."

The State Patrol received a letter on Oct. 26 from the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, requesting the criminal investigation. 

"I have not been notified or given any details by the Washington State Patrol or anybody else regarding an accusation of 'misuse of funds,'" Reardon said, according to a news release. "This is a nameless, baseless accusation that comes five days before the election. I am more than confident that voters in Snohomish County will see through this appalling charade and not be duped."

Read Reardon's full statement here

Reardon, a Democrat, is running in next Tuesday's election against Republican challenger Mike Hope. 

The State Patrol would not release further information about the investigation, including when it might be finished.

"We're always very reluctant to talk about how long an investigation might take.  It's really important that we do this right, not that we do it fast, so we will take the time we need to gather all of the relevant facts," said Bob Calkins of the Washington State Patrol.

In a news release, Snohomish County Prosecutor Mark Roe said that a "third party came forward with allegations that I believe require an independent investigation to determine the facts."

"If true, they (the allegations) could potentially constitute a criminal act of official misconduct, which is why I felt a law enforcement agency should handle the investigation," the news release said.

KIRO 7's senior political reporter Essex Porter is trying to track down Reardon and to find out how much money is involved.