The state’s Republican Party wants to know: Did Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson break ethics rules by sharing politically pointed posts on his official social media accounts?

Earlier this month, Ferguson’s official X and Facebook accounts published a screenshot from a Seattle Times article, along with the caption: “The Washington Republican Party supports the president ordering the National Guard into our state — what a shock.”

The article in question asserted that some top Washington Republicans had suggested they would back National Guard troops being sent to Seattle, as President Donald Trump has done in other Democrat-run cities. The story noted that the Washington State Republican Party (WAGOP) had asked on X whether Seattle will be next and accused state and city officials of “protecting criminal illegal aliens.”

In response to Ferguson’s post, WAGOP clapped back.

“The WAGOP supports law and order,” the party wrote Oct. 10. “The real question is why is @GovBobFerguson using official taxpayer-funded social media accounts for partisan political activity? Is Bob committing ethics violations? WA State Executive Ethics Board: Please weigh in.”

A subsequent post on Ferguson’s official accounts tagged the state’s Republican Party. The post also included a link to a Politico story about Oklahoma’s GOP governor opposing the Illinois-bound deployment of Texas National Guard troops.

“Hey @WAGOP — you might want to listen to the Republican chair of the National Governors Association,” Ferguson’s Oct. 13 X post said.

WAGOP again replied. “Hey, Bob, Are you using taxpayer-funded staff or resources to play partisan politics again, with your official social media accounts?” the post read. “Someone should ask the WA Ethics Board if that’s ETHICAL.”

Kate Reynolds, the Washington State Executive Ethics Board’s executive director, replied via email that it appeared as though the referenced section of the Ethics in Public Service Act is “RCW 42.52.180, use of public resources for political campaigns.”

Under that section, the act restricts the use of state resources for opposing or promoting a ballot proposition, Reynolds said, or for the aim of assisting an election campaign of someone seeking office.

“Based on the limited information provided, it does not appear that the activity complained about is either in support of a candidate’s campaign or is related to a ballot proposition,” Reynolds said. “As such, this provision of the Ethics Act would not be applicable.”

Washington state GOP Chairman Jim Walsh said in a Tuesday call that the board’s response is both disappointing and not surprising. The board, he said, has a reputation in Olympia of being “a toothless dog” in terms of enforcement.

Although Walsh agrees that the board correctly cited the RCW, he called their interpretation too narrow. In his view, Ferguson has been engaging in political commentary on his official gubernatorial accounts, throwing elbows at the state’s Republican Party and others.

Walsh contends that snarky, ridiculing jabs on Ferguson’s personal account would be one thing. But if he’s using an official account that taxpayer-funded staffers help manage, then that isn’t fine, the chairman said. To Walsh it’s a question of how taxpayer dollars are being used — and such support shouldn’t be used for politicking.

“I mean, he’s running for re-election as governor by doing that,” Walsh said, adding that such posts were in support of a candidate: Ferguson himself.

The first-term governor will be eligible to seek reelection in 2028. He’s listed as an upcoming gubernatorial candidate on the state’s Public Disclosure Commission website.

Aside from heading up the state’s GOP, Walsh also serves as an Aberdeen state representative. He said he can’t use his own official legislative social media accounts to take shots at the Washington Democratic Party and its chair, Shasti Conrad — “nor should I.”

“And it’s not right that the governor uses his official social media to take shots at the WAGOP,” Walsh said. “It’s partisan, it’s political, and for the Executive Ethics Board to pretend it’s not just kind of makes them look dumb.”