(The Center Square) – The King County Council on Tuesday approved a motion expressing no confidence in County Assessor John Wilson, amid calls for him to resign based on accusations of stalking and harassment by his former fiancé.
Lee Keller, a local public affairs consultant and Wilson’s former domestic partner, obtained a temporary protection order in the King County Superior Court on May 13, the second restraining order she filed against Wilson since May 2024. They later reconciled and became engaged.
Immediately after PubliCola first reported on the latest restraining order, King County and Seattle leaders called for Wilson to resign and suspend his campaign for King County executive in the upcoming general election. This included King County Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay, who are also campaigning for county executive.
On Tuesday, Balducci brought forward the motion, adding that Wilson demonstrated “an extreme lack of judgement and behavior that we should not accept from a King County employee.”
The council voted 8-0 in favor of the motion, with Councilmember Reagan Dunn absent from the vote.
Balducci described Wilson’s actions as typical of “DARVO” behavior – which is an acronym for “Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.” DARVO is best described as behavior displayed by perpetrators to avoid responsibility for abusive actions that manipulate and control victims.
“We’ve had everything but the ‘D’ – we have had no denial,” Balducci added. “All of this is inconsistent with the trust and professionalism required for someone to serve high office.
She noted that the county council is unable to remove Wilson from his position. The only way to do so is through a recall petition, which is not in the council’s power, but rather brought forward by county voters.
Zahilay added that he found Wilson’s behavior noted in reports to be “appalling,” saying that it revealed a pattern of inappropriate behavior.
In a campaign press release on June 3, Wilson said he had hoped to respond to allegations made by his former fiancé that he says are “exaggerated,” however he was advised by his attorney to wait until the court takes action on the dismissal motion. Wilson also called out Balducci and Zahilay for calling for his resignation.
“I will not be hounded or bullied out of office by my two opponents for King County executive,” Wilson said in a statement. “They have appointed themselves judge, jury, and executioner […] as attorneys themselves, I find their conduct shameful and an appalling rejection of our core democratic principles—namely, due process.”
Wilson announced his campaign last fall before officially filing to run on May 9, just four days before Keller’s protection order was issued. Wilson has been the county’s assessor since 2015. As the county assessor, Wilson earns more than $211,000 in salary, according to 2023 King County salary data obtained by The Center Square.
Prior to his current role, he was a journalist for several news outlets in Seattle, including The Seattle Times, KING 5 and Seattle Weekly.
A court hearing is scheduled on June 30.
Wilson remains the county assessor and is continuing his campaign at the time of this publication.
