Politics & Government

Puyallup Rep Melanie Stambaugh Fights 44 Ethics Charges

Stambaugh, a Republican and the state's youngest legislator, faces the charges over social media posts.

OLYMPIA, WA - State Rep. Melanie Stambaugh, R-Puyallup, defended herself in a state ethics hearing - the first such hearing in the state in 22 years - this week against accusations that she misused photos and videos created by the state in campaign materials.

The state ethics board is saying that Stambaugh violated a rule that bans politicians from using media created by the state - for example, a photo taken by a state worker and taken from a state website or social media account - in campaign materials. Stambaugh says that the charges are outdated because the photos and videos she used are in the public domain and should be fair for anyone to use.

Stambaugh spoke to the Tacoma News-Tribune in a video about the ethics charges and why the rule she's accused of violating does not make sense in 2016.

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Watch Stambaugh talk about the accusations of ethics violations


Stambaugh is the youngst legislator in Washington, and was the youngest female legislator to win election since 1936. She has represented the 25th Legislative District since winning election in 2014.

Find out what's happening in Puyallupfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Image via Washington State House Republicans

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