Ernest William "E.W." Cromartie, a towering figure in Columbia city politics who was imprisoned on a tax evasion charge, was pardoned in President Joe Biden's last hours in office.
A lawyer who grew up in Columbia's Waverly neighborhood, Comartie sat on the city council and managed a powerful and expansive personal network, which some likened to an old-fashioned political machine, with a personal touch. His powers to persuade were only matched by his fierce love for the city, which he committed his political career to improving. He was considered instrumental in cleaning up parts of downtown Columbia, installing new sewer lines in Olympia and getting the city-owned Drew Wellness Center built on Harden Street.
He was known for his personal touch, preferring in-person conversations and seemingly showing up anywhere constituents might have needed him. But in 2010, Cromartie shocked his supporters when he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of structuring payments to avoid federal reporting requirements. As a result of that guilty plea, he resigned from Columbia City Council after serving for 28 years and lost his law license.
Cromartie was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and ordered to pay $58,000 in back taxes to the IRS. Cromartie would go on to serve ten months in federal prison. While a pardon does not signify innocence, it effectively erases the crime and restores full civil rights to the individual.
I.S. Leevy Johnson, Cromartie's lawy.
