Name: Recall efforts against Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant can move forward judge rules
Uploaded: 2021-05-12T13:15:36-07:00
Description: A judge ruled Wednesday that recall efforts against controversial Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant can move forward.

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Recall efforts against Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant can move forward judge rules

A judge ruled Wednesday that recall efforts against controversial Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant can move forward.

SEATTLE - The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission has ratified a settlement agreement with City Councilmember Kshama Sawant in which she admitted improperly using city money and other resources to support a proposed ballot measure.

The vote Monday means that Sawant must pay the city $3,516, The Seattle Times reported. That’s twice the amount she spent to promote a payroll tax on big businesses like Amazon.

The decision comes as a recall campaign is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative seeking Sawant’s removal. from office The council member’s admission in the agreement, announced Friday, concedes one of three recall allegations — all of which she and her supporters have strongly denied previously.

The recall campaign, which needs to 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 though the building was closed, and leading a march to the house of Mayor Jenny Durkan, a former U.S. attorney whose address is protected by a confidentiality program.

In a statement Tuesday, Sawant described her ethics infraction as minor and blasted the recall effort as a right-wing attempt to quash her support at City Hall for workers and renters.

Commissioner Judy Tobin called it cut-and-dried issue at a meeting held over Zoom.