Seattle Metropolis Councilmember Kshama Sawant admits violating ethics code, fueling recall effort

When Henry Bridger arrived on Capitol Hill Saturday to collect signatures on an election initiative to commemorate Seattle City Councilor Kshama Sawant, he made an admission from the politician that he believes will help keep voters going to convince them to oust them.

In a settlement agreement with the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission on Friday, Sawant admitted that he had improperly used city money, staff and other resources in support of a proposed election measure. She also agreed to pay the city $ 3,516, double the city funds she had spent to advance the measure to create a payroll tax for large corporations like Amazon.

Sawant’s admission that she violated the city’s ethical and electoral codes confirms one of three charges that the recall now brings.

“She denied it, denied it, and now she steps forward to admit that she actually did it break the law. And that’s huge, ”said Bridger, a Capitol Hill resident who serves as chairman and campaign manager for Recall Sawant. He said he was going to tell people about it when he asked for their signatures.

Bridger also said recall supporters are calling for Sawant to step down. Otherwise she would stand for re-election in 2023.

Sawant and an aide did not return messages on Saturday for comment.

The deal, which will have to be approved by commissioners, who are due to vote on it at a special session on Monday, notes that Sawant believed that she was not prohibited from endorsing election measures that had not yet been submitted.

However, the director of the commission has consistently stated that the agreement prohibits city officials from promoting “actual or proposed” electoral actions. And the state’s Supreme Court, which ruled last month that three out of four original charges were factual and serious enough to fuel the recall effort, supported that interpretation.

John McKay, a former US attorney for West Washington who represents those seeking to remove Sawant, said Saturday It was “remarkable” and “unprecedented” for a council member to admit what the Supreme Court deemed sufficient for a recall.

However, he admitted that when the recall campaign receives the 10,000 signatures it needs from Sawant’s District 3 to put their removal on the ballot, voters will have the final say. The campaign, which began collecting signatures about a week ago, has until mid-October to reach that threshold.

Only District 3 voters, including Capitol Hill, Central District, Montlake, and Madison Park, can weigh themselves.

“Let’s hope voters get the news,” McKay said.

In the past, Sawant, a member of the Socialist Alternative party, and supporters have aggressively denounced the recall campaign as an instrument of far-right and big business interests.

A Kshama Solidarity Campaign website states, “Kshama has not broken the law or used the city’s resources to promote an election initiative. What really upsets the big company is that the Amazon tax has passed! …

“The prosecution is attacking Kshama for attending a community meeting to discuss a possible election initiative. This is like a ‘thought crime’ accused of simply discussing a grassroots initiative before there even exists.”

The agreement states that Sawant attended more than just one community meeting. They or employees on their instructions prepared posters for the tax measure, which were provided with a city seal. published on its Council website hyperlinks to websites promoting the proposed initiative, some of which listed Sawant as a member of the Coordinating Committee; and spent at least $ 1,759 in city money on ads, posters, phone banking, and bulk text services.

The recall campaign also accused Sawant of letting Black Lives Matter protesters into City Hall despite the building’s closure last June and marching outside Mayor Jenny Durkan’s home despite knowing her address was due to her previous work as a federal agency Prosecutor was protected by a confidentiality program.

The solidarity website defends the opening of the town hall as “an important confidence boost for the Black Lives Matter movement,” saying Sawant spoke in front of Durkan’s house during the protest but did not lead it.

The state’s Supreme Court dismissed a fourth charge that Sawant delegated to the Socialist Alternative Party as inadequate.

If the Ethics and Election Commission approves the agreement, Sawant must pay the town within 30 days. The commission could fine up to $ 5,000 for failing to do so.