Department of Justice opens criminal investigation of the Port of Seattle

What little credibility ousted Port of Seattle executive Mic Dinsmore and Commissioner Pat Davis have retained is evaporating with this news:

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the Port of Seattle following a scathing state audit that found waste and possible fraud.

U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan notified State Auditor Brian Sonntag of the investigation in a letter Friday.

The Dec. 20 audit blasted the Port for shoddy management of construction contracts, and identified violations of competitive-bidding laws and waste of $97 million. Port officials have disputed those findings but said they would work to improve management.

[...]

Almost all of the audit's findings concerned practices that occurred under the leadership of former CEO Mic Dinsmore, who retired in 2007. [New Port CEO Tay] Yoshitani said he has no doubts he can change the Port's behavior quickly. "I'm convinced I can change behavior and the culture with that," he said.

Several of the key figures in the Dinsmore regime, which we have harshly criticized over the past couple of years, are now gone from the Port of Seattle, including Mic himself and his ally Bob Edwards, who was defeated by Commissioner Gael Tarleton last November. Commissioner Pat Davis remains, but she isn't likely to be on the commission after 2009.

Davis may not even make it through her term if the feds find that she was complicit in any lawbreaking that occurred at the Port. We'll see. If she does make it through, though, it's improbable she'll choose to run for reelection again.