Seattle Metropolis Councilmember Sawant to pay for violating legislation

SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle Ethics and Election Commission has ratified a settlement agreement with Councilman Kshama Sawant in which it admitted misusing city money and other resources in support of a proposed election measure.

Monday’s vote means Sawant will have to pay the city $ 3,516, the Seattle Times reported. That’s twice what she spent on promoting a payroll tax for big companies like Amazon.

The decision comes as a recall campaign collects signatures for an election initiative seeking to remove Sawant. out of office The council member’s announcement on Friday admits one of three recall allegations that she and her supporters have previously emphatically denied.

The recall campaign, which must get 10,000 signatures in Sawant’s District 3 by mid-October to put it on the ballot, also accuses Sawant of opening City Hall to Black Lives Matter protesters, even though the building was closed, and marching to House run by Mayor Jenny Durkan, a former US attorney whose address is protected by a confidentiality program.

In a statement Tuesday, Sawant described her violation of ethics as minor and criticized the recall as a right-wing attempt to undo her support for workers and tenants in town hall.

Commissioner Judy Tobin called it a dry topic at a meeting on Zoom.