Walser pleads guilty to misdemeanor, vows to stay in race in LD39

Fred WalserThe Everett Herald is reporting that former Sultan police chief Fred Walser, who is running as a Democrat against state Senator Val Stevens in the 39th District, has pleaded guilty to providing false information to a public servant.

"I just wanted to get it over with and move on," Walser said. "I'm glad it's behind me."

The incident, a gross misdemeanor that will require Walser to pay the city $20,000 and 240 hours of community service, stemmed from a dispute between one of Walser's employees and a neighbor, with Walser failing to provide a sheriff's report in a timely fashion. He later said that he had misplaced the report.

Still, Walser has no intention of dropping out of the senate race.

"What I've tried to do in my career should not be overshadowed by what's happened in Sultan," he told the Herald last month when the story broke. "I am highly electable and the best candidate out there."