Ep. 1 The Smoking Gun

Governor Bob Ferguson didn’t kick off his term with a speech on education or housing. He talked about Microsoft Teams. Why?
This episode unpacks a scandal years in the making—one that saw millions of government chat messages auto-deleted under the radar. Host Jamie Nixon traces the story from a fumbled deposition to the governor’s emergency suspension of the policy, with appearances by journalist Shauna Sowersby and civil rights attorney Joan Mell. You’ll hear the documents, the audio, and the bureaucratic freakouts that followed.
It's the story of what happens when government accountability meets the delete key. And no, you're not paranoid—they really did delete it.
Full transcript + source docs: thepublicrecordsofficer.com
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About WashCOG:
The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) fights for transparency and accountability in Washington State. Learn more:
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