Vancouver resident Brad Erhart provides evidence that he believes ‘demands an immediate investigation into the conduct of Council Member Kim Harless’

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

How did Pokémon lead a Vancouver City Council member to violate ethics laws by directing taxpayer money to her undisclosed boyfriend?

This question demands an immediate investigation into the conduct of Council Member Kim Harless. Public records show that between 2023 and 2025, Vancouver awarded $29,750 in grants to Vancouver Arena, a nonprofit dedicated to Pokémon and Pokémon Go fan events. The governor of this organization, and the applicant listed on the grant applications, is John Park.

Council Member Harless holds critical influence over these funds at every stage. She chairs the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC), which evaluates grant applications and recommends them for approval. She then votes again as a City Council member to finalize the distribution of those funds.

As recently as Aug. 7, Council Member Harless’s social media profile showed her in a relationship with John Park. However, within a day of residents publicly questioning the appropriateness of these grants, that relationship status was deleted.

A deeper investigation confirms their relationship existed well before the grant approvals. A substantial body of evidence — including archived photographs of the couple together dating back to at least early 2023, mutual campaign support, campaign finance reports, and records indicating shared residences — demonstrates a clear conflict of interest.

Yet, Harless never disclosed this conflict.

A review of public meeting minutes reveals she did not recuse herself from the votes to fund her partner’s organization. Incredibly, this silence persisted even when conflict-of-interest procedures were specifically presented on October 9, 2024, while Park’s application was under review. Harless proceeded to vote to recommend, and later approve, sending public funds to her partner.

This appears to be a stark violation of Washington state law (RCW 42.23) and the Vancouver City Code of Ethics (Policy 100-36), which prohibit officials from using their position to secure financial benefits or special privileges, or even the appearance of impropriety or a conflict between public duties and private interests. The swift removal of public evidence suggests an attempt to conceal the conflict rather than address it transparently.

This is not a minor oversight; it is a failure to follow fundamental ethical procedures required by law. Both Washington state law (RCW 42.23.030) and Vancouver’s Code of Ethics mandate that officials publicly disclose any personal interest in a contract and must recuse themselves from voting on it. This ensures that decisions are made in the public interest, free from personal bias or gain. By remaining silent, Council Member Harless compromised the integrity of the entire grant process & her legitimacy.

Given Harless’s active involvement and participation in the Vancouver Arena community since 2018, residents deserve to know: Did she use insider knowledge to facilitate the grant? And were public funds used to subsidize her personal interests and activities at these taxpayer-funded events?

To be clear, this is not a critique of the Pokémon community, nor an assessment of the value Vancouver Arena provides. The issue is the fundamental ethical obligation required when elected officials distribute public money.

This situation presents a difficult truth. Public trust is essential for effective governance, and it erodes when officials appear to prioritize personal gain over transparent public service. I support many of the causes Council Member Harless claims to champion.

But this is precisely why ethical conduct is paramount. When representatives breach public trust, they severely damage the legitimacy of the causes they claim to support. Ethical failures create distrust and provide leverage to those who oppose these very ideals. Holding our representatives accountable — especially those we align with — is not a betrayal of our values; it is a defense of them. The city of Vancouver must launch a full, independent investigation immediately.

Brad Erhart
Vancouver

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