Smith v. Washington State Department of Transportation

A Washington trial court denied the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Washington State Office of Financial Management’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a former economist at WSDOT asserting whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, and negligence claims. The plaintiff alleged that he was “improperly pressured for political purposes … to change his estimates of fuel costs to fit the political narrative from the Governor that the state’s ‘cap and invest’ program under the Climate Commitment Act was costing consumers little or nothing at the gas pump.” The organization representing the plaintiff announced the denial of the motion to dismiss.