WA state worker accused of misappropriating $900K had earlier bankruptcies

A state worker accused of taking nearly $900,000 in public money had earlier declared bankruptcy four times, public records show.

Matthew R. Ping abused his job as a management analyst for Washington’s Office of Administrative Hearings by using an agency credit card to pay large sums of money to businesses he created in his name, according to a state audit released last week.

Ping, 48, who had worked for the agency since 2009, was not named in the audit report, but his identity was confirmed by the auditor’s office.