Treasurer candidate Garrison ran 50 fraudulent returns before 2015 release

Timothy Garrison, a Republican candidate for Skagit County treasurer, served a federal prison sentence from 2012 to 2015 for filing false income tax returns on behalf of clients. He now seeks to replace incumbent Democrat Jackie Brunson in the general election on Nov. 3.

Garrison, who holds degrees in business administration and finance, cites approximately 50 years of experience as a tax accountant. He stated that if elected, he would ensure no improper or unlawful transactions occur under his watch and would safeguard public funds with a professional approach.

The candidate qualified for the ballot as a write-in during the August primary. He skipped the Fidalgo Democrats forum and the Skagit County Republican Party endorsement interview, though he did participate in the League of Women Voters forum in October. The county Republican Party declined to endorse him.

Bill Bruch, the Skagit County GOP chair, said the party struggles to find qualified candidates but felt Garrison did not pass their vetting process. Bruch noted that while the party did not endorse Brunson, they view her as experienced and well respected after her previous work in the sheriff’s office.

Garrison’s legal issues began in 1984 with a mail fraud conviction, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the sovereign citizen movement. The IRS later stripped him of his enrolled agent license, a national credential that allows representation of tax matters in all 50 states.

In 1988, Garrison opened the 89th Street Management Co., a tax preparation business that filed between 200 and 400 returns annually. Court documents cited by the SPLC indicate that 17 of his clients audited by the IRS between 2004 and 2009 owed average back taxes in excess of $20,000 per return.

A joint investigation by the IRS and the U.S. Marshals Service determined Garrison prepared more than 50 returns with false or fraudulent information, resulting in a tax loss of over $2.5 million. In 2011, he was arrested for firearms possession, a crime for which he was barred as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to tax fraud, and the gun charge was dropped. He was also ordered to remove six liens he had placed on the properties of Skagit County public servants.

Garrison and his wife served on a sovereign citizen movement jury in 2011 that found Schaeffer Cox, founder of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, not guilty of plotting to kidnap and kill state troopers. A state court later dismissed those charges due to warrantless FBI recordings, though Cox was convicted of similar charges in 2012.

Garrison is one of four write-in candidates who qualified for the November ballot, including Derrill Fussell for coroner, Cody Hart for sheriff, and Amanda Toscano for county clerk. Fussell, Hart, and Garrison unsuccessfully sought to recall county officials this year over oaths of office. Toscano’s federal lawsuit regarding a battery energy storage site was dismissed.

Brunson said the treasurer’s office requires responsible stewardship, transparency, and accountability. She noted her administration implemented digitized records, cross-trained staff, and updated the investment policy. She said her office also saved tens of thousands of dollars in banking fees by issuing a request for proposals to banks. Garrison, who declined to answer questions about his past, emphasized his experience in audits and verification during the October forum.