Driscoll and county settle decade-long lawsuit

Published 8:53 am Tuesday, April 23, 2024

SOUTH BEND — Pacific County and Dan Driscoll have reportedly reached a settlement nearly 11 years after a lawsuit was filed on June 7, 2013. The lawsuit sought damages for a plethora of public records violations Driscoll alleged against the county in relation to a long dispute involving Oysterville Sea Farms.

According to court records, the lengthy lawsuit has been an up-and-down scuffle between the two sides, with neither willing to budge. The settlement was formally acknowledged during a special meeting of the Pacific County Commission on April 18.

The two-minute meeting did not specify any of the details around the settlement, nor did the meeting’s agenda or agenda form. Subsequent inquiries to Pacific County General Administration Chief Administrative Officer Paul Plakinger have not yet been responded to.

The Observer has submitted a public records request for a copy of the potential settlement. It has not been filled as of reporting, but is expected to be ready for disclosure within the next two weeks.

Driscoll responded to a request for comment and acknowledged a potential deal had been reached. He points the blame to past county heads, not the present administration.

“None of Pacific County’s current elected officials initiated or overtly supported illegal actions against me and my former business,” Driscoll said. “Unlike several previous commissioners and prosecutors, none of the current commissioners or prosecutor publicly made defamatory comments about me and my former business.”

“I recognize that no current elected officials initiated illegal county actions against me. This is primarily why I will settle all issues with Pacific County out of court. I hope the county is as happy as I am that all matters between us are now settled. I hope all energy previously directed toward this conflict can now be directed to productive, effective and enjoyable activities,” Driscoll added.

The bulk of Driscoll’s lawsuit centered on public records complaints, including a third-amended filing on Oct. 2, 2015, alleging 70 violations.

Driscoll did not want to get into any specifics about the settlement because it has not yet been finalized. County officials plan to release a formal statement once the settlement is finalized.

The lawsuit response over the past year was spearheaded by Katrina King, who was hired in March 2023 by Pacific County Prosecutor Michael Rothman. She was reportedly vital in the process of nudging the lawsuit toward a settlement.