Lindquist: No need to wait to terminate Estes

Pierce County should immediately terminate all contracts with Stewart Estes’ law firm.

There is no dispute that Prosecutor Mark Lindquist has received free legal services from Estes since 2011 or that Estes’ law firm has received $587,263 from the county for other legal work. Some of the work was expressly endorsed by Lindquist. The appearance of possible kickbacks warrants the termination of the contracts.

The county code prohibits employees from receiving a gift of more than $25. A deputy prosecutor says nothing prevents Estes from providing free legal work to the county. Estes’ loyalty was to Lindquist, therefore his services were not for the county.

Some costs may be incurred in replacing Estes’ firm. So far, cost has never been an impediment to the County Council where Lindquist is concerned.

The Ethics Commission should thoroughly investigate the allegations. The Investigation will take time. The phone records Lindquist was ordered to produce have not yet been produced. No wrongdoing may be found; either way, justice delayed is justice denied.

Cutting ties with Estes benefits both the county and Estes. The county would demonstrate its commitment to ethical conduct. Estes, free of possible remuneration, can show us his commitment to pro bono work.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Lindquist: No need to wait to terminate Estes."