Washington Gov. Ferguson loses another team member as chief of staff resigns

The Washington State Governor’s Office is grappling with another personnel shakeup.

Mike Webb, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s long-time chief of staff, resigned Wednesday morning. It’s the latest departure in what has been a tumultuous two months for the new governor’s team.

Webb’s resignation comes amid allegations from some lawmakers that the governor’s office is a hostile work environment. It also follows the recent departure of Ferguson’s top liaison to the legislature, Joyce Bruce, who resigned on Friday.

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In this latest resignation letter, provided by the governor’s office, Webb acknowledged the workplace concerns as an “unhelpful distraction” and defended his conduct while working with Ferguson.

“I am proud that in my twelve years of public service, I never raised my voice or cursed in anger, and I made every effort to treat colleagues with civility and to live up to the high standard that you personally set,” Webb wrote. “That said, if I have ever fallen short of my best self in this fast-paced, high-stress environment, I apologize to you and the entire team.”

In a statement, Ferguson praised Webb, saying he wouldn’t be governor without him – and that the governor’s team would work on its leadership structure. Ferguson also noted that his chief operations officer, Shane Esquibel, would step in to serve as interim chief of staff while the office “re-evaluates” its structure.

Democratic House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, of Tacoma, said Wednesday afternoon it’s too early to tell how the resignations might impact the governor’s dealings with lawmakers as budget negotiations begin.

“I don’t think that changes things in a big way,” Jinkins said, referring to legislative leadership’s workings with the governor's office. “What we mostly want is to make sure we continue to build a positive relationship with the governor and the governor’s office, so we’ll see how it works its way out.”

Senate Republican leader John Braun, of Centralia, sent the following statement when asked to comment on the workplace allegations and Webb’s departure: “We don’t have any insight into the tone of the work environment within the governor’s office. Speaking only based on our experience working with Mike, he has only displayed professional behavior in our presence.”

House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, of Auburn, declined to comment.