King County Council votes no confidence, urges assessor's resignation amid restraining order
The King County Council has no confidence in King County Assessor John Wilson.
Members voted unanimously Tuesday, calling on Wilson to resign amid allegations that he stalked and harassed his former fiancée.
'I see it as a pattern, a very dangerous pattern, and certainly not one that we want in our highest levels of government in King County,' King County Council member Girmay Zahilay, running against Wilson for County Executive, said.
Multiple local leaders called for Wilson to step down after another restraining order was filed against him.
King County Council member Claudia Balducci introduced a motion at last week's council meeting, calling for Wilson's resignation.
'There is a cycle of control and manipulation that underlies domestic violence and stalking and harassing behaviors like we are seeing from our county assessor that I think should cause us to be very assertive in our willingness to stand up and say, 'We don't accept it,'' Balducci said during the council meeting.
The council struck down the motion, but Balducci indicated she may reintroduce it.
Wilson has since filed an ethics complaint with King County against Balducci, which reads in part: 'This motion relies on unsubstantiated allegations made against me to impugn my reputation, generate more media attention, and undermine my campaign for King County executive.'
Balducci and Wilson are both running for the position of King County executive.
Wilson told 'The John Curley Show' on KIRO Newsradio Tuesday, 'There's never been any domestic violence.'
'The audacity of her to come at me about domestic violence when she doesn't know my family history,' he added.
Wilson also mentioned on the show that Lee Keller, his former fiancée, who filed the temporary restraining order, had mentioned getting it dismissed.
'She's come back each time and said, 'Look, I'm really sorry. I want to make it work.' And this happened even after this, DVRO (domestic violence restraining order), and through an intermediary, she said, 'Will you let John know I so love him. I'm so sorry about this. I'm getting it dismissed,'' he said.
However, Keller's attorneys subsequently reached out to the show, telling KIRO Newsradio, 'The restraining order is very active.'
Keller also issued an email statement to KIRO Newsradio on Tuesday, defending the order.
'The restraining order against John Wilson remains in place. I will not be changing my mind, despite his repeated efforts to coerce me to dismiss it,' she wrote. 'A hearing on the restraining order will be held on June 30, 2025. I welcome the opportunity to address John's reference to a signed agreement at that time, and inform the court of John's continuing violations of the very active restraining order.'
The order was issued by Keller against Wilson on May 13—the second one in a year, according to The Seattle Times.
The order requires Wilson to stay 1,000 feet away from his former partner and will remain in effect until his court hearing on June 30, the media outlet stated. Wilson is accused of consistent stalking and harassment.
Keller previously filed a restraining order last year, The Seattle Times reported, claiming Wilson falsely accused her former boyfriend of sexual assault and made a false police report. That restraining order lasted seven weeks.
In light of the events, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell urged Wilson to step down Thursday.
'I am appalled by the stories of County Assessor Wilson's conduct and want to add my voice to the community and elected leaders calling on him to resign his position,' Harrell wrote in a statement, via a news release. 'While he has a right to due legal process, the published allegations are disqualifying for public office. We need to send a clear message to survivors of intimate partner abuse that this type of behavior by people in positions of trust is not tolerated.'
Wilson released a statement Tuesday in response to the allegations:
'I had hoped we could respond firmly to the exaggerated allegations made by my former fiancée, Lee Keller. My attorney has advised me to wait until the court takes action on the dismissal motion already signed by the attorneys for both Ms. Keller and me. These one-sided allegations have been treated as if they are proven facts. They are NOT.
I will have a statement soon.
In the meantime, I will not be hounded or bullied out of office by my two opponents for King County Executive. They have appointed themselves judge, jury, and executioner. They are not. As attorneys themselves, I find their conduct shameful and an appalling rejection of our core democratic principles—namely, due process. As some voters have noted, this is a brazen attempt to remove voters' choice for King County Executive.
I will stand before the voters this August for King County Executive. I will continue to advocate for public safety, tax relief, affordable housing, and the tangible actions I will take to advance the public interest.
I will not resign as Assessor, and I am proud to stand on my record. No one–especially not my opponents–has fought harder for meaningful tax relief for the working homeowners, renters, and small businesses of King County.
Finally, minutes ago, Council member Claudia Balducci proposed a no-confidence motion to the King County Council, calling for my resignation, using the unsubstantiated allegations in the court documents. This represents a clear and troubling misuse of official authority for political gain, and I have filed a complaint with the King County Office of the Ombudsman.
I will have more to say about this matter soon.'
This story was originally published on May 29, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.
Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio
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