State Auditor Troy Kelley will not be paid by the state during his leave of absence to face federal charges, according to a letter delivered to the auditor by Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday.
Kelley was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month on ten counts, including tax evasion and lying under oath.
Kelley has maintained his innocence and said he will take a leave of absence from his job starting Friday, ignoring calls from Inslee and others for him to resign.
In the letter to the auditor, Inslee wrote that he has directed the Office of Financial Management and Department of Enterprise Services to withhold pay from Kelley “as long as you are not performing the duties of the office you were elected to perform.” Kelley will also be required to maintain health benefits at his own expense, according to the letter.
Inslee also repeated his call for Kelley to resign. “You have lost the trust of the public and the agencies that your office oversees,” he wrote. “I urge you to put the interests of the people of the State of Washington above your own.”
The governor has asked for Kelley to respond in writing by April 29 to explain how the office will operate in the auditor’s absence.