Councilmember's father has history of intimidating Woodinville officials
WOODINVILLE, Wash. - New revelations have surfaced about the father of a Woodinville city councilmember, after he was recently caught on camera getting physical with another councilmember and attempting to intimidate the mayor.
A police report from 2020 shows this is not the first time he has engaged in such menacing acts.
Footage shows Donn Best, father of councilmember Rachel Best-Campbell having an outburst outside city hall last week. The heated encounter came on the heels of council censuring her in a 5-2 vote. According to former councilmember Susan Boundy-Sanders, four years ago after a city council meeting, Best cornered her in the parking lot.
"Now that there’s been not just one but two incidents like this, it becomes not a mistake, but a habit," stressed Boundy-Sanders.
Accusations made by Boundy-Sanders are detailed in a police report. She says Best went "belly-to-belly" with her and threatened to "use a gun" against a former city planning commissioner.
"So that really crossed a line from opinion, emotion and bravado, into a threat of violence," said Boundy-Sanders.
Mayor Mike Millman, who was not in office during the 2020 incident, acknowledged the disturbing nature of the reports as eerily similar.
"There's been an alarming pattern of trying to intimidate city employees, city officials, city staff," said Millman. "It's just one of these things that’s become worse and worse and worse."
The planning commissioner did not press charges but, fearing for his family's safety, relocated to Kitsap County out of caution. He later sued the city, settling for $35,000.
Despite not residing in Woodinville, Donn Best, a resident of Carnation, has remained involved in city affairs, raising questions over what's fueling his frustration. Millman noted his strained relationship with Best's daughter: "I was the deciding vote why she did not become deputy mayor, and ever since then, we’ve had an acrimonious relationship."
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Councilmember Best-Cambell is expected to serve at least two more years, unless voters decide otherwise. Attempts to reach Best-Campbell for comment have been unsuccessful.