Pflug Home Sale Draws Attention

A little more than a year after scandal allegations plagued former Senator Cheryl Pflug regarding her contentious appointment to the Growth Management Act Hearings Board, she is raising hackles again. The embattled former lawmaker has a pending sale on her Maple Valley home at a price of $279,000 (purchased for $373,000 in 2006) which may require the lender, Washington State Employees Credit Union, to eat up to $100,000 on her loans. Records show that the property is for sale, but as of the date of this article, it is pending lender approval. Information on the sale was obtained from King County Records, Zillow and her realtor’s website.  

David Irons, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Bain in Issaquah and an acquaintance of Pflug, is the listing agent on the property. The commission he will receive is undisclosed and he did not respond to requests for comment. Irons is a member of the board of directors for the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and in 2005 Irons was an unsuccessful candidate for King County Executive. 

The news adds to the former legislator’s allegations of using her position for personal gain at the expense of taxpayers—or in this case other state employees. Early in her legislative career, Pflug won respect in her district for being dedicated to her constituents. However, she exited office under a dark cloud during the election of 2012 after Democratic Governor Chris Gregiore made Pflug a timely appointment to the quasi-judicial Growth Management Act (GMA) hearings board. At the time, she had not graduated from law school, and to date has not passed the Washington State bar exam. 

A public records request in 2012 from the governor’s office yielded documents that appeared to prove her appointment was made in exchange for her exiting the 5th district senate race and endorsing Democrat Mark Mullet. Although Mullet's father, Steve was an appointee in the Governor's cabinet, he insisted that Gregiore was "not on his speed dial." The flap around it became known as the Pflug-Mullet Bribery Scandal. Pflug's standing on both sides of the aisle took a dramatic slide and Democratic Senator Rodney Tom called for an investigation into the Pflug appointment. She allegedly approached Tom a week prior to the filing deadline and told him she was retiring from the senate and that he was going to “love working with Mark Mullet.” Today, she dedicates a page on her personal website to defending her actions, which is long on explanations but presents no new facts. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

If the lender approves the sale of Pflug’s home at the current offer, credit union members would be forced to accept a significant write-off. Short sales are approved for borrowers who are under water on their homes and face a financial hardship. A loss of job, or relocation are just some of the reasons a lender may grant a short sale. In Pflug’s case, her position with the GMA board pays her $92,000 a year, and relocation for her GMA position is not necessary. Both real estate and political insiders say the sale of her home has a familiar odor of ruling-class privilege. 

One real estate agent who lives in Pflug’s former district, who asked not to be named said “This really looks again like she's using her position for personal gain and has little regard for those left holding the bag.”   

We'll have to just wait and see if the bank approves the sale.