The above email was an internal email in reaction to the email I, Matt Ready, sent to all OMC and JHC commissioners on May 22. Here is that email:
05/22/2025 Matt Ready sends email to Olympic Medical Center board of commissioners and Jefferson Healthcare board notifying all of potential criminal liability exposure
Official Notice of Criminal Exposure Related to the Peninsula Health Alliance Proposal
Request for Joint Public Meeting and Internal Investigation
Commissioner Matt Ready Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2 mattready@gmail.com | (360) 477-1447 May 22, 2025
To:
Board of Commissioners, Olympic Medical Center Board of Commissioners, Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2 (Jefferson Healthcare)
Subject: Official Notice of Criminal Exposure Related to the Peninsula Health Alliance Proposal Request for Joint Public Meeting and Internal Investigation
Dear Commissioners,
This letter serves as a formal and urgent legal notice. Based on the available evidence, your collective roles in the development, submission, and concealment of the Peninsula Health Alliance proposal may constitute criminal violations of Washington State law, including RCW 9A.80.010 (Official Misconduct) and RCW 9A.28.040 (Criminal Conspiracy), as well as Open Public Meetings Act (RCW 42.30) violations. These are not theoretical risks—if proven, they carry maximum penalties of 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine per count, along with civil liability and reputational harm to your institutions.
I. Basis for Criminal Exposure
The Peninsula Health Alliance proposal:
- Was submitted without a public board vote or legal authorization from Jefferson Healthcare;
- Was drafted and discussed in private, under a legally questionable executive session exemption;
- Was concealed from at least one commissioner during development;
- Was presented to Olympic Medical Center as an official act of Jefferson Healthcare;
- Was moved forward without public disclosure or open board deliberation.
The facts, preserved in internal emails, transcripts, and public statements, demonstrate that individuals within both institutions took actions that may meet the legal standard for official misconduct and conspiracy.
II. Criminal Intent Requires Knowledge—Not Malice
Under RCW 9A.80.010, a public servant commits official misconduct when they: “Knowingly perform an act which the public servant knows is unauthorized by law…”
This statute does not require malicious motive. It is enough that the act was taken knowingly, outside proper legal authority, and under the guise of public office. The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s refusal to pursue charges based on a lack of “intent to harm” is a misapplication of law. The legal threshold is clear, and the facts are already in the record.
III. Referral and External Investigation Underway
I have submitted notification and documentation of these potential crimes to:
- The Washington State Attorney General – Open Government Division
- The Jefferson County Sheriff and Prosecutor
- The Clallam County Sheriff
- Notification packets are also under preparation for federal authorities since these activities involve multiple jurisdictions.
IV. Demand for Immediate Internal Investigation
Whether or not external bodies act, I strongly urge both Jefferson Healthcare and Olympic Medical Center to:
- Immediately initiate a thorough internal investigation into the proposal’s creation, submission, and concealment; 2066_001.pdf
- Determine which individuals were involved, what internal policies were bypassed or ignored, and which governance safeguards failed;
- Remedy procedural or legal violations through formal internal review, retraining, and if necessary, corrective disciplinary action;
- Secure and preserve all documentation, communications, emails, drafts, and attorney correspondence related to the Peninsula Health Alliance;
- Prepare formal institutional responses and briefings for external agencies who may request cooperation.
Doing so is not only legally prudent—it is vital to preserving institutional credibility and rebuilding public trust.
V. Call for Immediate Joint Public Meeting
I further call on both boards to convene a joint open public meeting to:
- Disclose the full authorship, status, and legal justification for the proposal;
- Present findings from internal investigations;
- Receive public comment and answer questions;
- Consider formally rescinding and renouncing the proposal;
- Commit to future governance transparency.
This meeting must be fully noticed, recorded, and open to the public and press.
VI. Legal Counsel Must Report to the Board—Not the CEO
In my experience as a long-serving hospital commissioner, I have observed that legal counsel retained by public hospital districts often appear to view the CEO as their primary client and superior. These attorneys tend to defer to the CEO’s authority, advocate for the CEO’s positions, and protect the CEO’s legal interests as though the CEO were the equivalent of a private business owner. This structural bias presents a profound conflict of interest, particularly when allegations of misconduct or legal violations involving the CEO arise. For this reason, it is imperative that all public hospital district boards retain their own independent general counsel—separate from any attorney hired by or reporting to the CEO. This is the only effective way to establish a legal check and balance, safeguard the public interest, and ensure that the board receives unbiased advice aligned with its fiduciary and statutory obligations.
VII. Bar Complaint Against Legal Counsel
I also regretfully inform you that I have been forced to file a formal complaint with the Washington State Bar Association against Jefferson Healthcare’s legal counsel, Brad Berg. This step was necessary due to mounting concerns, supported by the county prosecutor’s own report, that Mr. Berg may have actively participated in or facilitated the concealment of critical legal risks and governance violations from the public and from the full Board of Commissioners. The prosecuting attorney explicitly flagged the potential complicity of legal counsel in suppressing transparency and helping executive leadership avoid legal scrutiny. In light of these findings, Jefferson Healthcare’s reliance on Mr. Berg’s legal advice must be viewed with caution by both boards until the matter is resolved through appropriate oversight. For the record, despite these concerns, the other Jefferson Healthcare commissioners continue to rely exclusively on Mr.Berg’s legal advice in this matter – in my opinion, a serious act of fiduciary negligence.
VIII. Notice
You are now officially on notice. Each day of inaction increases potential exposure—for individual commissioners, executives, and your institutions. You have the opportunity to take lawful corrective action now. I strongly encourage you to act quickly, transparently, and decisively.
Sincerely, Matt Ready Commissioner, Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2