An interesting development in the ongoing “transparent and open” process of the Columbia River Crossing Project, responsible for so far swallowing up some $140 Million in “studies” for a new I-5 Bridge to run Portland’s Light Rail into Vancouver, wanted by taxpayers or not.

David Evans and Associates, so far the single largest recipient of funds from the CRC, accepting more than $30 Million so far, answered a notice from WashDOT over their intent to comply with a FOIA request for financial records with a lawsuit quietly filed in Thurston County to block release of their records on file with WashDOT here.

The records request was part of an ongoing private audit of the CRC finances funded by successful Vancouver businessman David Madore. Tiffany Couch, the forensic auditor hired by Mr. Madore says, “the request for the Evans financials was one of series of records requests she’s filed.”

She continued, “We have been asked to perform a review of how public money has been spent on the CRC project; starting from the bidding process when the project began in 2005 through present day expenditures.”

Also named in the lawsuit as defendant is Debbie Peterson who works for Ms. Couch and who filed the actual request with WashDOT.

In a comment left on facebook, David Madore said, “Nancy Boyd, director of the CRC uses words like transparency and accountability and then goes on to say that because state law does not force them to provide financial statements, that she will not provide them.”

This move begs the question, just what does David Evans & Associates have to fear from transparency in why they were paid over $30 Million of taxpayer monies?

It’s time this fiasco was brought to a screeching halt and our federal representatives from both states bring in federal investigators with prosecutions in mind for any wrongdoing.

If Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Portland or Occupy Vancouver really need a cause to protest, maybe they should be protesting the Columbia River Crossing and David Evans & Associates.