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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Washington Legislature. Austin Jenkins is the Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) weekly public affairs program "Inside Olympia."

Indicted Washington State Auditor's Trial Moved

Washington State Auditor's Office
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Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley Kelley has pleaded not guilty to a 10-count federal indictment .

The trial date for Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley was moved Monday from June to January 2016.

Kelley has pleaded not guilty to a 10-count federal indictment and has taken a leave of absence from office. The charges stem from his past business in the real estate services industry.

Also Monday, Federal prosecutors said they believe Kelley’s attorney has a conflict of interest and should be removed from Kelley's criminal case. Prosecutors told a judge at a status meeting in Tacoma they will file a motion to explain their conflict-of-interest concerns.

Separately the Washington State Auditor’s office, under a public records request, released a batch of text messages to and from Kelley from earlier this spring. Those messages show that a top staff member visited Kelley’s Tacoma home on the night of March 6. That was the day the Auditor’s office received a federal grand jury subpoena for records.

The staffer confirms that the purpose for the visit to Kelley’s home was deliver a copy of the subpoena to Kelley. The text messages also show Kelley was concerned about the security of his home and identity theft after news broke on March 17 that federal agents had searched his home while he was out of town.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."