Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) selected Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton (Washington) to become the Contract Administrator for Council House, Seattle (01 Feb 01). HUD claimed to have developed that initiative to improve its role in the community. Although HUD remained active in the partnership, the Contract Administrator (Bremerton) assumed the primary role for liaison with owners and management agents for tasks previously performed by HUD Seattle and HUD Alaska.

HUD did nothing to investigate serious allegations although they received notification of fraud on several occasions during the past five years. It chose to ignore federal laws that apply to the theft or misappropriation of public money which has gone on for decades. Those laws establish a maximum 10-year prison sentence for conversion of government funds to personal use and extend penalties to anyone who receives them. These penalties particularly apply when individuals derive additional income after using government-subsidized employment to support outside enterprises.

Merrill Wallace II, Executive Director, and Clarence Nelson, Director, (Bremerton), have continued laissez faire policies formerly followed by HUD-Seattle. Those policies have allowed an increase in elder abuse with impunity granted by trial court decisions now subject to Washington Supreme Court review. HUD-Seattle, HUD-Alaska, and Bremerton, might have avoided two deaths and four incarcerations if they had complied with HUD mandates. Instead, Nelson tried to cover up wrongdoing by colluding with Stephen A. Mitchell, Council House administrator, then attacked the messenger and withheld documents.

Officials have neglected to act on elder abuse complaints and continued the negligent policies previously implemented by HUD in that respect. That has resulted in even more abuse and alleged homicides. Government authorities must wake up to this egregious manipulation of the system and assault upon the rights of senior citizens. They must launch a full and independent investigation.

Whether one classifies HUD inaction as bureaucratic bungling or collusion does not matter. The fact that residents continue to suffer abuse and the directors continue to misappropriate government funds, does matter. The US General Accounting Office must take action before someone else dies through neglect and abuse as the result of incompetent administrators and thugs.

In an attempt to mitigate, John W. Meyers, Regional Director, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), instructed Paul O. Johnson, FOIA Liaison Officer, HUD Washington State Office, to try to correct the outright manipulation of public records by his predecessor. Johnson provided some of the documents but shifts the responsibility to provide copies of documents located in the Bremerton files to Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) using Washington State FOIA procedures as his authority.

Since then, neither HUD-Seattle nor Bremerton has honored public records requests and used false and misleading denials. Not once has Bremerton claimed a legal exemption. Instead, they used bureaucratic double-talk and shell games to deny access. Although, Johnson passed the blame for withholding documents to Bremerton, much of the withholding occurred before Bremerton became involved. [Silent Withholding]

Bonus! Two hours after this article appeared on the Internet, John Frank Mitchell, a lawyer acting for Merrill Wallace II and Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA), effectively admitted that BHA had deliberately not processed FOIA requests and claimed instructions from HUD-Seattle as its authority. This implicated both BHA and HUD-Seattle in the FOIA shell game. [Silent Withholding] JFM-05-0130-1441. Copies of your e-mails have been forwarded to me by Merrill Wallace the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton (BHA). I have reviewed those requests for information and also my records of your earlier requests for information. BHA takes your requests seriously and would like to comply with them; however, the information that you request is HUD’s information and not ours. We have been instructed by HUD not to respond and to direct you to HUD Seattle. Please redirect your request to the proper authority. By the way, I am not related in any way to Stephen Mitchell at Council House.

If in fact HUD-Seattle did instruct BHA not to release records requested under FOIA without claiming a legitimate exemption then why has BHA consistently used unlawful excuses to deny access? Congress has set laws and executive agencies have a duty to comply with them by assigning appropriate staff to meet requests for documents. In this case, any exception requires a declaration by John W. Meyers. Freedom of Information Act has allowed the public to obtain unclassified government records that officials would not otherwise release since 1966.

These particular documents support credible allegations of elder abuse against Council House administrators, show the role that the directors played in condoning that abuse, and reveal the neglect of oversight agencies to act on information provided to them. Hopefully, bringing this information into the public domain will convince Council House directors and government agencies to change their policies with regard to the treatment and protection of elderly people.

Several documents derived from other sources exposed what the parties had concocted. A legal tape recording also came to hand. The forty-three page transcript clearly defines the inquisition which Stephen A. Mitchell choreographed to embarrass and harass a tenant who complained to Bremerton about the food program. That occurred three days before his untimely death and shortly after Bremerton had failed to properly address his cries for help. Officials subsequently withheld documents relating to the issues. [Last Cruel Days. Homicide?]

Nelson has effectively supported Mitchell and his elder abuse for more than four years by withholding documents and knowingly allowed him to proceed with unlawful evictions, incarcerations, and elder abuse. Nelson has apparently closed ranks with other officials in effectively denying access to Council House documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by not even responding to requests.

Laissez-Faire means Abuse Federal and municipal officials charged with oversight of Council House adopted laissez faire policies. They neglected to investigate reports of elder abuse, racism, harassment and alleged homicide. They also condoned eviction without due process of law. Laissez-faire, a French term, means a policy of nonintervention by government or “let things alone”. At Council House, Seattle, the doctrine favors Zionist exclusionary practices and self-interest. Inevitably, laissez-faire policies lead to abuses, in this case, elder abuse. Unlawful and rigid control over tenants by administrators, combined with misappropriation of rental income and government subsidies benefit directors while exclusionary practices breed racism and terrorization of elderly people. Laissez-faire emphasizes the profit motive at the expense of those whom the law protects while government officials acquiesce for political expedience.

HUD-Seattle officials previously aided and abetted both Mitchell and Mark T. Mullen through lack of mandated federal oversight before Nelson came onto the scene. Both administrators have consistently violated federal laws and resident rights. Mullen now manages Fred Lind, another senior housing project a few blocks from Council House, and maintains a "cozy" relationship with Mitchell.

Informed about this at a meeting, Nelson neither processed the complaint nor recorded the meeting. Evidently, he acted on telephone calls and defamatory letters about tenants from Mitchell who filed false and misleading reports.

During the meeting (24 Apr 01), Nelson behaved arrogantly and insolently. He addressed none of the serious issues brought up for him to discuss. In fact, he kept this reporter waiting twenty-four hours for a meeting after traveling many miles - evidently to humiliate him. This necessitated an overnight stay in a motel.

He has since neglected to provide any of the documents requested at that meeting. In response to a public records request for minutes, he sent a blank piece of paper which probably symbolized his thinking capacity. Anyway, the only thing he said of any import during an hour-long interview related to him holding his job for twenty years.

Nelson has still not provided copies of all documents that relate to any conversations or correspondence relating to tenant complaints. That request again included the minutes or notes for the hour-long meeting that he held. Other Bremerton officials have also not responded. Documents withheld by Bremerton but obtained from other sources show a similar pattern or practice in San Francisco.

HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) and HUD-Seattle auditors and administrators have become part of the problem not part of the solution. Through collusion they covered up resident abuse and misappropriation of federal funds. Those individuals will eventually have to explain themselves to independent government investigators.

Council House tenants used HUD complaint procedures and Bremerton responded to Mitchell but did not contact the grievers or give any of them an opportunity to explain their grievances. Consequently, Mitchell swept the matters under the rug then renewed his terror campaign against the grievers and others. This has now reached monstrous proportions. Now protected by court anti-harassment orders and affronted by tenant complaints, he has become more vicious in his retaliation against tenants generally.

Since Mitchell took over as Council House administrator, he has evidently fooled HUD, City of Seattle, Seattle Police Department, and many other officials with his stream of false reports to government agencies, police, relatives, friends, tenants, and to their professional and business associates using false and defamatory language. Mitchell has classified all Council House tenants as "vulnerable adults" (crazy) which he maintains gives him the authority to behave in whichever way he pleases as their fiduciary or supervisor. He uses the term to implement what he calls his "zero-tolerance policy". [Vulnerable Adults]

Mitchell frivolously relies upon RCW 74.34.210 for his part in this chaos. There is nothing to suggest that any Council House tenant has been adjudicated to be a "vulnerable adult," or that Mitchell has been appointed the "guardian or legal fiduciary" for such a tenant.

On the contrary, the record establishes that the tenants of Council House classify as independent adults with no legal disabilities and that Mitchell does not rank as their "fiduciary." However, he has unofficially rented apartments to several vulnerable adults with fatal consequences.

Since Bremerton took over, two fully documented deaths (alleged homicides by abuse) have occurred. Mitchell has unlawfully incarcerated at least four tenants, effectively evicted several others without due process of law, and covered up the circumstances of untimely deaths. All this while they paid rent and forfeited their security deposits. Moreover, Council House claimed government subsidies while they spent time in jail or mental institutions.

Both HUD-Seattle and Bremerton hold part responsibility for abuse and assault by Mitchell’s thugs upon many tenants which occurred before the first death. They could have avoided that involvement if they had performed in accordance with law and provided copies of public records. Then they would probably have become aware of the problems. Instead, they chose to refuse access to the documents and participate in a cover up. [Homicide by Abuse]

Council House co-presidents Lynn Wartnik (wife of Superior Court Judge Anthony P. Wartnik) and Sheila Sternberg (wife of Seattle bankruptcy attorney Craig S. Sternberg) filed false documents with HUD-Seattle to promote this monster as administrator then director. Since, Bremerton officials have covered up their actions as HUD-Seattle officials have done for four years. They have all ignored several opportunities to mitigate the circumstances.

Nelson disclosed the content of tenant complaints to Mitchell then ignored them apparently in a consort with him. Mitchell then retaliated against the grievers (as did his predecessor Mark T. Mullen). As a result, Mitchell continues to retaliate against the grievers without mercy. The collusion did not do Nelson much good either as Mitchell now accuses him of dereliction!

To mitigate HUD dereliction, investigators must search Bremerton files and provide the requested documents for the period since they assumed responsibility for Council House oversight (01 Feb 01). In addition, they must provide copies of all other complaints to Bremerton by tenants during the interim also the Bremerton responses to them.

Many of the problems extant at Council House would not exist if the directors employed a qualified administrator and counselor as required by HUD regulations. Congress allotted funds for a qualified service coordinator (social worker/geriatric counselor). That position calls for a person holding particular academic credentials, also professional qualifications and experience, to meet resident needs. [Service Coordinators] [Mental Health Counselors] [Social Workers]

It did not intend those funds to support theatrical enterprises by out-of-work actors posing as mental health counselors. This misappropriation of federal funds on theatrical (and other interests that include pornography and a cover up of the activities of an Islamic terrorist sympathizer) now runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars. [Tyrant by Day: Saint by Night]

Misappropriation of government funds allowed Stephen A. Mitchell and Katrina M. Ramsburg to receive government-financed salaries then run theatrical companies and recording enterprises on Council House premises using government-sponsored computers. Concurrently, they neglected the welfare of senior citizens. Instead they abused them under a plethora of “zero-tolerance” policies.

Previously, due to a policy rigorously enforced by Mark T. Mullen, HUD received only one complaint from a Council House resident in six years. It has received many more complaints since residents learned about their right to complain. However, Mitchell now coerces residents into dropping those complaints with threats of eviction. A typical comment by him: “If you do not like it here go somewhere else”.

HUD-Seattle/Bremerton has neglected to take mandated action and continues to deny access to records which contain the complaints. HUD officials must by law release copies of hundreds of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) but refuse to do so. [Public Records Access]

Since Nmesis published details of racism in advertising practiced by Council House directors, HUD-Bremerton staff has forced them to use other than solely Jewish publications when advertising for tenants.

Perhaps, Meyers has finally realized that serious problems exist at Council House for which he and his predecessor, Robert Santos, must hold the ultimate responsibility. Their staff, in particular Kathy Klein and Martha Dilts, have neglected to oversee the property and have covered up the problems reported to them.

HUD-Seattle has done nothing to investigate the allegations although they received notification of fraud on several occasions during the past five years. HUD chooses to ignore federal laws that apply to the theft or misappropriation of public money which has gone on for decades. Those laws establish a maximum 10-year prison sentence for conversion of government funds to personal use and extend penalties to anyone who receives them.

Those penalties particularly apply when individuals derive additional income after using government-subsidized employment to support outside enterprises. At Council House, both Stephen Mitchell and Katrina Ramsburg - and by extension the directors - have allegedly violated those laws.

Instead of addressing the issues, Martha Dilts (HUD) covered up the problem by making disparaging remarks about the complainant to a US senator. She used the same kill-the-messenger techniques employed by Council House directors.

HUD employees have colluded amongst themselves to cover up violation of federal laws by Council House directors. Moreover, they have misled two US senators and a member of Congress when they inquired about the alleged activities. Neglect to investigate or contempt prior to investigation has allegedly contributed to at least two tenant deaths. [Last Cruel Days. Homicide?] [Who Killed Jackie Nations?]

A letter to Anthony Crook, Deputy Director, Investigation Support Division, Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development (Washington DC), contained details of that collusion also the neglect by Noel Tognazzini, Special Agent in Charge, Northwest/Alaska, Office of Inspector General (OIG-Seattle). Crook did not respond and Tognazzini did not act.

Tognazzini neither requested substantiating evidence nor returned a telephone call. He arbitrarily ruled that the allegations of federal violations at Council House did not warrant a criminal investigation. He referred the allegations to Robert H. Woodard, Assistant District Inspector for Audit, for review and action. Woodard requested information and received a letter in response that stated willingness to cooperate in an audit. He requested sensitive information.

Crook also referred the retaliation issues to Reneé D. Greenman, Director, Northwest Alaska Multifamily (HUD-Seattle), for action. She evidently colluded with Woodard in an attempt to cover up the problem. Consequently, a follow-up letter to her received a peremptory email message in response:

Please refer to the June 20, 2001, letter from Robert H. Woodard, Assistant District Inspector General for Audit in which Mr. Woodard specifically requested you provide additional documentation and submit it to the OIG, prior to any additional evaluation or investigation into your allegations would be performed. Any additional investigation into your complaint is to be provided by OIG. Your complaint has not been referred to the Office of Multifamily Housing for any additional action.

Clearly, Greenman has not addressed the issues. Moreover, she appears to have become involved in the audit. For an auditor to divulge information and procedures during a forensic audit violates ethical rules. Greenman’s involvement with the auditor probably violates HUD rules for audits. The complainant expected confidentiality.

Auditors should not share information with the people they audit until they have completed their report. The information to support investigation now awaits an independent audit. Obviously these bureaucrats have more interest in covering up the problems and saving their own skins instead of investigating the plight of elderly people.

The information will not go to Woodard because he will apparently transmit it to Greenman to support yet another cover-up by both HUD-Seattle, Bremerton Contract Administrator, and Council House. They continue to withhold documents requested under FOIA to cover up their machination and have lied about the availability for more than four years.

In a memorandum addressed to Greenman (11 Mar 03), Frank Baca, Regional Inspector General for Audit, OIG, gave Bremerton a relatively clean review of its contract with HUD. However, that review ignored outstanding issues and complaints. It addressed payment of monthly vouchers and operating plans but ignored serious issues related to elder abuse and misappropriation of funds.

OIG did not consider neglect referred to it since BHA took over the contract administration. Apparently, Baca and Greenman have conducted yet another whitewash of BHA malfeasance. Previously, Greenman colluded with IOG in a cover-up of elder abuse at Council House and participated in withholding public records.

Now Baca cozily writes that “they agreed to work together to resolve the deficiencies” and that “they appreciated the courtesy and assistance of the staff”. This stroking by auditors perpetuates the elder abuse condoned by BHA and HUD-Seattle.

HUD conspires with Council House to suppress complaints or answers them with ridiculous comments while the manager continues his terror campaign. One resident tenaciously asked a US senator for help then the administrator could not erase the HUD record. Mitchell railroaded her out of the building after making monstrous accusations of attempted homicide against her.

A black resident, Leon L. Harris, complained to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about racial and religious abuse. Diane B. Nelson, Acting Supervisor (HUD), brushed him off by writing (03 May 01):

Under the Fair Housing Act, as amended, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development does not have jurisdiction. We were unable to ascertain whether you had been injured by a discriminatory housing practice, ie, you were not told that you would lose your housing if you used the words "Jesus Christ". In addition, an individual attending an event that is sponsored by a religious group would be expected to adhere to the traditions of that group.

Nelson missed the point entirely with that ridiculous statement. Consequently, the ethnic and religious debacle at Council House continued to degenerate until a serious confrontation at a Coffee with Steve meeting (15 Aug 01). Mitchell then constructively evicted Harris for complaining to HUD about religious and racial slurs. [Trials of Leon L Harris]

Noel A. Tognazzini, Special Agent in Charge, HUD Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), who has apparently since left HUD, knew about the issues for more than two years and did nothing to mitigate the damage to residents. Instead, HUD-OIG staff colluded with HUD officials to cover up the problems. Both Meyers and Tognazzini have left it too late to start investigating. The whole situation now calls for independent audit by the US General Accounting Office (GAO).

HUD-Seattle and their agent Bremerton Contract Administrator unlawfully withheld public records and continue that practice. They had a part in this reporter going to jail for 111 days including 25 days in solitary confinement and did copies of items on their web site which frustrated the efforts to free him. [Silent Withholding]

Joe Harkins, National Writers Union (UAW - AFL/CIO), wrote to The Honorable Mel Martinez, then United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Martinez failed to respond on an immediate and serious issue that affected HUD directly. Harkins then placed the letter on his web site. A mirror of the original site now appears on a companion site. That page that references HUD appears on this site. [Free Paul Trummel] [HUD - Martinez]

Myers has still not provided copies of those records almost three years after the event. He must hold the ultimate responsibility for his staff dereliction in particular that of Martha Dilts, Kathy Klein, and Becky Sands, who have denied access to public records and have covered up problems reported to them.

Washington Supreme Court now has a petition for review of lower court findings in this case. When it reverses the trial court decision then these agencies will have to allow investigation and provide copies of all the withheld records. [Washington Supreme Court]

Investigative journalism has survived as one of the oldest professions as a result of corruption in government. However, it does not rank as the oldest profession. That dubious honor belongs to Seattle’s federal, state, and municipal officials, superior and appellate court judges, and Council House directors. As their favorite son would say - they can run but they cannot hide.