Ethics complaints charge Diana Perez and Wil Fuentes over Fourth Plain Forward ties

VANCOUVER — Corruption, cronyism, collusion and coverup are alive and well in the city of Vancouver according to Reform Clark County Founder Rob Anderson. Despite clear ethics rules against self-dealing in government, Perez used a publicly funded nonprofit and current Clark County Councilor Wil Fuentes to obtain a loan for her for-profit business she would not otherwise have been able to secure on her own.

An ethics complaint filed Oct. 6 by Anderson charges that Vancouver City Council Member and candidate for Washington’s 17th Legislative District Diana Perez voted in 2025 to give taxpayer money to Fourth Plain Forward (FPF) while at the same time applying for and getting a personal business loan from that non-profit without disclosing her financial interests or stepping aside.

"Council member Perez admitted on a podcast that her café got its loan through Fourth Plain Forward," Anderson said.

This is the second complaint Anderson has filed involving FPF. The first, filed Sept. 29, charges that Councilor Fuentes violates the Clark County Charter by drawing an FPF paycheck while serving on the Council.

"In 2025, Perez voted to give taxpayer funds and city block grants to FPF without saying a word about her personal financial interest,’’ Anderson said. “When an organization you helped support and fund with taxpayer dollars is then used to create a profitable business for yourself, you stop the transaction, you disclose it to the public, and you step aside.

“Further, Perez admitted that she could not get small business funding on her own,’’ Anderson added. “No bank was willing to take the risk. By using Fourth Plain Forward and the Department of Commerce as a lending partner, Perez forced the public to take the financial risk of her business that no private bank was willing to bear. As an elected official, what Perez did was unethical.”

About Reform Clark County

Reform Clark County is a citizen watchdog group working for transparency and accountability in Clark County government. Rob Anderson founded it in 2021–22 as the Mini-Initiative, and it took the name Reform Clark County in April 2022. It produces the weekly Reformcast show. Learn more at reformclarkcounty.com.