On Monday, Feb. 10, state Rep. John Ley, of Washington's 18th Legislative District, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of attempted voter violations, downgraded from felony charges that could have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a $10,000 fine.
Ley was sentenced to 12 months of probation with a 364-day suspended sentence, meaning he will not serve jail time unless he violates probation.
Ley was accused of misrepresenting his residency when filing to run for office in 2022. His Camas home was redistricted into the 17th Legislative District following the state’s redistricting process, after which he changed his voter registration to a Battle Ground address where he rented a room for $1 per month. Subsequent challenges to his voter eligibility resulted in a court ruling that he was ineligible to run in the 18th District that year.
Ley's attorney, Angus Lee, emphasized that the representative asserts his innocence, calling the plea agreement a strategic decision rather than admission of wrongdoing.
In a deal with prosecutors, Ley entered into an "In Re Barr" plea agreement, which allowed him to plead guilty to lesser related charges without admitting to the underlying conduct. Lee described the decision as a practical resolution rather than a concession of guilt.
“Under Washington law, you can accept a settlement agreement just to put the case behind you while maintaining your innocence," Lee told The Reflector. “In this case, the prosecutor’s office agreed to resolve this case with a $500 fine, which is essentially the equivalent of a speeding ticket.”
Lee further explained that the cost of fighting the charges in court would have been significantly higher than the fine, making the plea agreement the most logical path forward.
“Fighting these charges would have been much more costly over time than just paying a $500 fine and moving on. Since he was allowed to maintain his innocence as part of this settlement, it just becomes a business decision,” Lee said. “...This case was always politically driven and should have never been brought.”
When asked if concerns over a potential felony conviction influenced the decision to take a plea deal, Lee dismissed the notion.
“We were never worried about a felony conviction because he didn’t do anything,” he stated. "This is not a decision where we were worried (about) conviction. This was simply a way to reduce this down to a $500 fine and move forward.”
Lee also stated that the plea agreement does not impact Ley’s ability to serve as a state representative and that Ley is focused on his legislative duties.
“John is in the middle of fighting for the people, particularly with making sure there are no tolls and working on the bridge issue,” he said.
