April 30th, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson called upon the Senate to reject the nomination of Ron Sims to deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development as “an irresponsible choice by Barack Obama of a man who ought to be sent back to Seattle to ruminate in his field of schemes.”
ALG News has learned that at least one Senator is considering placing a hold on Sims’ nomination for additional questioning over Sims’ role in long-standing stadium controversy. And now more are raising questions over the controversial nomination’s qualifications.
“As King County Executive, Ron Sims’ administration first concealed information from King County voters to get Qwest Field built via a 1997 referendum,” said Wilson.
“And then, Sims’ office concealed the same information for another four years from Armen Yousoufian, who prior to the vote requested studies be made public that were damaging to the political case made by Sims to the county legislature and residents who voted to build the stadium,” Wilson added.
“And then, only because of a court order did his office ‘find’ the documents. Barack Obama promised the most open, transparent administration ever. And yet Obama’s nominee Sims acted so arrogantly that it took a court to force him to disclose basic information,” Wilson noted.
In a recent video interview with the Washington News Observer, when asked if he concealed anything and was fined $120,000, Sims denied any wrongdoing. “I didn’t conceal anything… I was not fined $120,000.”
“As a matter of fact, it’s interesting because there is nothing in the court record at all involving me personally. I never was involved in that at all. There’s nothing—nothing regarding my conduct. I didn’t conceal a thing. I did order the release of documents after they were discovered, but I never concealed anything,” Sims added.
The trial court that originally heard the case ruled King County could have complied with Yousoufian’s request within five business days following Yousoufian’s initial request. Instead it took more than four years and a handful of lawsuits.
Contradicting Sims’ denial that “there is nothing in the court record” involving him, “The office of Ron Sims, King County Executive” was listed as the respondent in the case Yousoufian v. Sims, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
“To this day, Sims cannot come to grips with the fact that the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that his office ‘repeatedly deceived and misinformed Yousoufian,’” said Wilson.
According to the majority opinion in the case, “The unchallenged findings of fact demonstrate King County repeatedly deceived and misinformed Yousoufian for years. King County told Yousoufian it produced all the requested documents, when in fact it had not. King County told Yousoufian the information was located elsewhere, when in fact it was not. After years of delay, mispresentation, and ineptitude on the part of King County, Yousoufian filed suit; nevertheless, it would still take another year for King County to completely and accurately respond to Yousoufian’s original request, well past the purpose of his request, the referendum on public financing of a sports stadium.”
“Sometimes, the truth hurts,” said Wilson.
“Ron Sims may not like it, but it is a matter of public record that his office concealed information that was politically damaging. And that is not the sort of record that ought to be brought to Washington,” Wilson concluded.
Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
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