A month-long investigation by the Ferndale Police Department (FPD) released in late October found that a group of individuals known under the banner of Save Blaine has intentionally interfered with Blaine city staff and council’s ability to effectively govern the city over the past two years.
The FPD report, which is the first investigation from an outside agency, describes the actions a handful of people have taken against Blaine employees and city councilors as “deliberately disruptive to the effective governance of the city of Blaine.”
Whatcom County resident Donna McGaffic, who also uses the last name Newman, had asked Blaine Police Department to investigate her allegations of misconduct by Blaine mayor Mary Lou Steward, Blaine police chief Rodger Funk and other city leaders. Funk requested FPD provide an outside review, which produced an 18-page report which concluded the complaints were unfounded. Additionally, FPD found the actions of McGaffic and others associated with Save Blaine to be negatively impacting city operations.
Among others, McGaffic’s primary complaint stated Steward broke the law by using her political influence to violate the rights of councilmember Eric Lewis. She accused Funk of failing to investigate the complaints.
After Ferndale began its investigation, McGaffic requested police also investigate Blaine city staff for sanitizing and omitting records from public record requests and conflicts of interest related to zoning and permitting decisions, unethical behavior, and other allegations.
McGaffic’s main concern centered on a September 8 Blaine City Council meeting where Steward urged Lewis to resign or she would put forward a motion to censure him. The mayor’s request came after emails circulated from earlier in the year that showed Lewis agreeing to put motions in front of city council requested by members of Save Blaine, who also call themselves Blaine Water Coalition. Steward was concerned that Lewis, who appeared friendly with the group, would provide the group with attorney-client privileged information discussed during executive sessions involving a lawsuit that one of the group’s members, Geoffrey Baker, had filed against the city.
“Based on my review, it is evident that Donna McGaffic and the groups with which she is affiliated strongly oppose decisions made by the Blaine City Council, particularly those involving Mary Steward,” wrote Ferndale officer Richard Hart, who conducted the investigation. “In seeking redress, Donna McGaffic initially contacted Chief of Police Rodger Funk, whose response did not meet her expectations, leading to further allegations against him.”
According to the report, McGaffic then forwarded her allegations to Whatcom County prosecutor Eric Richey, who declined to investigate. She subsequently filed complaints with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, which has the authority to review and revoke officer certifications, and the state’s Office of the Attorney General.
Hart stated that mayor Steward “did not violate the law in her remarks and correctly relied on parliamentary procedure” and chief Funk “appropriately referred the allegations.”
“There is no credible indication of criminal conduct at this time that would warrant further investigation by law enforcement,” Hart wrote of the claims against the city officials.
Concerns from Save Blaine began in fall 2023 after city council approved allowing large manufactured home parks in east Blaine, near McGaffic’s home outside of city limits. Group members questioned city transparency and began filing large public records requests.
Tensions between the group and the city prompted Steward to ban open public comment in council meetings in February 2024 after Save Blaine members refused to follow meeting decorum. Blaine police often monitored the meetings, which were rife with accusations, picketing and occasional shouting from McGaffic and other members.
In the Ferndale investigation, Hart said it appeared that McGaffic and other group members “intentionally submit large volumes of email comments to overload the [city council] agenda and exhaust the time allotted for public comment, thereby preventing other citizens from offering valuable input.”
City officials have detailed incessant phone calls to city employees, city leaders being accused of corruption on public record, requests to state and federal agencies to investigate the city, and public records requests the city estimates cost six figures and will take years to finish.
In an interview, Steward said the group has demoralized staff through multitudinous calls, emails, accusations and office visits, which the mayor believes put the city at risk of losing valuable employees.
“It’s evil behavior,” Steward said. “It’s what the staff are dealing with on a personal level … They’re getting constant harassment. I’m hearing, ‘I didn’t sign up for this. If I’d known this was going to be here, I would have never accepted this job.’”
Blaine city manager Mike Harmon did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
In an emailed statement, McGaffic wrote, “It’s a sad day in American history when the police and the mayor threaten to arrest citizens for writing letters critical of the government.”
Hart concluded his report listing several Washington state laws to address improper conduct directed at public officials and misuse of communications that included intimidation of a public servant, harassment via telecommunications, trespass and disorderly conduct.
Hart concluded his report listing several Washington state laws to address improper conduct directed at public officials and misuse of communications that included intimidation of a public servant, harassment via telecommunications, trespass and disorderly conduct.
“Washington law treats harassment and intimidation of public officials seriously,” Hart wrote. “Appropriate charges or remedies depend on the specific actions, their repetition, and whether threats to influence official acts are present.”
Steward said she believed some group members had crossed a line of harassing public officials, but it was up to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to file charges.
Richey, the county prosecutor, told The Northern Light that his office had not received a copy of the Ferndale investigation and declined to comment on how his office would respond if it did.
“I don’t want to speculate,” Richey wrote.
Steward said she was concerned about Blaine’s future as a city if harassment pushed out employees who oversee essential services.
“There's not a day that doesn't go by that somewhere, somehow these people aren't harassing us at some level,” Steward said. “This is why I'm yelling and screaming and trying to inform the people of Blaine how serious this is, because the staff cannot take this constant harassment.”
This article was updated on November 12 to include information that appeared in the print issue of the newspaper.
