Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman violated the Port’s code of ethics by using his position to gain special privileges or exemptions with a nonprofit, the Port Board of Ethics found.
According to board findings, Felleman tried using his commissioner status to get involved in the leadership of nonprofit Washington Maritime Blue’s Quiet Sound program.
Quiet Sound, partly funded by the Port, seeks to reduce the underwater noise impact of large vessels on southern resident orcas. The program’s procedures say nontribal elected officials can’t join its leadership committee.
After Quiet Sound denied Felleman’s request to join its leadership committee, the commissioner asked if he could observe the meetings as a private individual. He was also denied that request, according to the findings.
“Rather than accept this determination, Commissioner Felleman advocated for its reversal through conversation and correspondence with Port officials, employees and other individuals connected to the Port,” said the document of findings, filed in June.
In a September statement, Felleman said he sought to attend the meetings because he wanted to help assure Quiet Sound was successful. He added he had no financial interest in attending the meetings.
A request for special privileges or exemptions need not be financial or electoral in nature in order to constitute a violation of the commissioner code, the board said.
“I recognize that my words and actions sometimes lack respect and courtesy,” Felleman said in the statement. “That is not intentional. I am actively engaged in improving the effectiveness of my workplace communications and will continue with those efforts.”
Maritime Blue is a nonprofit that describes itself as “committed to the development of maritime business, technology and practices that promote a sustainable future.” The nonprofit’s latest initiative is a collaboration with the state to create a supply chain for offshore wind development.
Joshua Berger, Maritime Blue’s founder, president and CEO, said in a statement that Felleman’s conduct findings are an internal Port of Seattle matter.
“Our Quiet Sound staff has been following our agreed-upon operational guidelines,” Berger said.
According to the Board of Ethics, a Port employee opposed Felleman joining the leadership meetings. In response, the commissioner criticized the employee and attempted to exclude them from a meeting. The board found no evidence that the employees who filed the complaint “disparaged or undermined Commissioner Felleman.”
Besides Quiet Sound, Maritime Blue’s involvement with the Port of Seattle included a $33 million project to renovate the Fishermen’s Terminal Ship Supply Building and house Maritime Blue’s incubator program for startups in the maritime industry. Felleman was involved in the project.
The findings come at a time when Felleman is seeking reelection for the commissioner seat in Position 5. He won the August primaries with 56.5% of the votes. He has been in the position for more than seven years. Running against Felleman is Jesse Tam, a board director for the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who received 25.6% of votes in August.
Tam said the Port needs to be more transparent and more accountable. “All Port’s issues should be fully disclosed to the public within a public manner,” Tam said in an email.
The complaint from two Port of Seattle employees about Felleman’s conduct with Quiet Sound, which ultimately reached the Board of Ethics, happened in October 2022.
The board recommendations included that Felleman attend training in conflicts of interest and appropriate interactions between elected officials and staff, and apologize to the people who filed the complaint. Felleman said he will uphold codes of conduct and ethics, continue to advocate for Quiet Sound’s funding and work with other commissioners to foster a healthy work environment.