WorkSource employee identified

Sally Garcia, a veteran employment representative in the Vancouver WorkSource office, has been revealed by the Washington Department of Employment Security to be the state employee who violated federal and state laws by e-mailing a message to veterans on Aug. 12 encouraging them to take part in a “walk and knock” for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

The e-mail, released in response to a public disclosure request by The Columbian, was first revealed on a conservative website. An Employment Security spokeswoman confirmed last week that the use of a state computer and domain name to send a political message violated federal and state laws and the department’s own policies.

In the e-mail, Garcia wrote of Murray, “Whether you have voted for her in the past or are thinking of or planning to vote for her, the bottom line is she has done a lot for the Veterans of our community.”

Kathie Durbin