OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Court of Appeals has ruled that the Attorney General’s Office has the authority to investigate whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sex abuse by clergy, according to a statement released Monday by Gov. Bob Ferguson.

The decision overturns a prior trial court ruling that had initially sided against the Attorney General’s Office. Ferguson launched the investigation while serving as attorney general and pursued the appeal that led to the appellate court’s unanimous decision.

The investigation focuses on whether charitable assets were used to conceal allegations of abuse. As attorney general, Ferguson initiated the inquiry and sought to enforce subpoenas related to the case. He was present during oral arguments at the trial court level before the office appealed the earlier ruling.

In a statement issued through the Office of the Governor, Ferguson described the ruling as “an important win for transparency” and urged church leaders to cooperate with the investigation.

“As a Catholic, the church must do the right thing and engage in a public accounting of how the church handles allegations of child sex abuse,” Ferguson said. “That’s why I started this investigation when I was Attorney General. This ruling is an important win for transparency. I am asking church leaders to reflect and pray about this unanimous court decision and stop fighting this investigation.”

The release did not provide additional details about the timeline of the investigation.