Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant to pay $3500 in fines in ethics commission settlement
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) voted unanimously Monday to approve Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant's settlement for illegally using city resources to promote a ballot initiative.
The Socialist councilmember, who is currently facing recall, announced a settlement agreement last week, acknowledging she spent $1,759 in city resources to promote a "Tax Amazon" ballot proposition campaign through advertisements, posters, phone banking and mass text messages.
With the SEEC approval of the settlement, Sawant will now have to pay a $3,515.74 penalty, double what she spent to promote the ballot initiative, back to the city within 30 days.
The recall effort attempted to delay the SEEC proceedings and increase the fine, arguing in a letter sent to the commission by attorney John McKay that adequate notice had not been given for public comment and that the fine did not "adequately account for the Councilmember's use of city resources, nor account for the Councilmember's lack of remorse or acceptance of responsibility for her actions."
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/sawant-ethics-commission-settlement-tax-amazon-16168211.php
