(The Center Square) - Twelve days after a complex of fires consumed hundreds of homes in Spokane County, a state lawmaker who lost her home in the fires is urging Governor Bob Ferguson to lift election rules that ban lawmakers from contacting constituents, speak at press conferences, or contact members of the media during an election season.
Rep. Jenny Graham, R-Spokane Valley, said she had precious little time to evacuate her home Aug. 1 when fire tore through her neighborhood, reducing virtually every house on the block to rubble.
She lost everything and showed up at one of the initial press conferences when Ferguson flew to Spokane to address the media.
“I did have an experience at one of the briefings. The Governor has to know because it’s been on social media that our house burned to the ground and our entire neighborhood burned to the ground in the Old Trails Fire,” said Graham.
“He literally walked by me. No acknowledgement whatsoever, no phone calls reaching out to say 'I’m so sorry this has happened.' I’m a sitting lawmaker and this does make it hard for me to have any sort of confidence that my request to allow us to be able to communicate with our constituents who are in need...that they’ll do the right thing and suspend those rules.”
The Center Square reached out to the governor's office Thursday but received no response.
On Monday, Ferguson did issue an emergency proclamation that expands access to the state’s disaster cash assistance program, increases access to vital documents lost in the fires, makes it easier to get unemployment benefits, and temporarily suspends regulatory requirements for health care facilities and providers, but did not address the issue of officials contacting constituents or other related issues.
Though Graham is not seeking reelection, she is under the same election rules that apply to lawmakers who are on the ballot this November.
There are laws that apply to elected leaders during campaigns, but there are also rules that are not in state law that Graham suggests could be suspended so she can communicate with constituents.
She was not allowed to speak at media briefings about the fires, even though many of her constituents lost their homes, just as she did.
“This truly is a time when, regardless of what your political party is, we should be able to come together. And I don't see that as coming together when the Republicans are not being allowed to speak,” said Graham.
“There shouldn't be a party attached to it, and unfortunately that is exactly what's happened right now.”
Graham shared that she also has concerns about the man accused of starting the fire, being allowed to come to Washington several years ago, after getting out of prison upon serving time for killing his father.
Aaron Farinacci has confessed to starting the fire that destroyed Graham’s home and hundreds of others, court documents show.
As reported by The Center Square, in 2010, Farinacci shot and killed his dad, Jeffrey and used a gun to place his mom, Beth, in “reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury,” according to court records.
Initially facing a potential life sentence, two years later, Farinacci took a plea agreement for manslaughter and aggravated assault, court records show.
He received 12 years in prison and was released in 2020, after serving 10 years including credit for two years in jail awaiting trial.
“He was let out early. There were supposed to be some requirements in place that he was not following. He was allowed to seek being placed in Washington state, and there are concerns right now with how Washington State handled this,” said Graham.
“Did this guy go through an evaluation? Was that a requirement? It's my understanding that Washington state was supposed to be supervising this individual. And I'm not clear right now as to why either that was supposedly happening or it wasn't happening. And if not, why?”
According to court records, in 2023, Farinacci’s probation officer in Arizona said he had obtained a full-time job and “maintained stable residence with his girlfriend and her family” in Spokane.
“The girlfriend and her family are a positive pro-social support for the offender,” a court record said.
The document also noted he had “not completed a mental health evaluation and any domestic violence treatment.” Farinacci got reprimanded numerous times for not complying with these orders, the document said.
Graham said she plans to ask Ferguson to call a special session to address concerns being raised by fire victims and the fact the alleged arsonist was allowed to come to Washington and commit a crime that has destroyed so many lives.
“Those are questions on behalf of my constituents, and all of the people that are connected to this deliberate, heinous crime.”
