King County Council calls for assessor to resign, as he posts on social media
The Metropolitan King County Council voted unanimously Tuesday, for the second time in the past year, to call for the immediate resignation of County Assessor John Wilson, as he faces criminal charges related to allegations that he stalked his ex-fiancée.
The 9-0 County Council vote comes as Wilson made a seemingly taunting post on social media over the weekend after winning a minor concession in the early stages of his criminal case.
You have continued to demonstrate a profound lack of judgement, a disregard for the safety and wellbeing of King County residents, and disrespect for the trust King County residents have awarded you," all nine County Council members wrote in a letter to Wilson. "When an elected official breaks the public trust like this, it's not possible to effectively serve the public and execute the duties of their office free from distraction."
The County Council has no official power to force Wilson from office. He could be removed by a recall petition, a lengthy and multistep process, or if he is convicted of a felony or other crime "pertinent to the incumbent's office," according to the county charter.
The County Council previously voted to call for Wilson's resignation in June.
Wilson and his lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Wilson, after he was charged last month with two counts of violating a court order, was released without bail, but ordered to wear an ankle bracelet that would alert his ex-fiancée if he came within 1,000 feet of her home or workplace.
Wilson asked the court for permission to not wear the bracelet, arguing that he needs to soak his feet daily for a medical condition and the bracelet cannot get wet. The court, last week, granted Wilson's request while still ordering him to have no contact with his ex-fiancée and to stay away from her home and workplace.
Over the weekend, Wilson posted on Facebook a picture of himself, shirtless, in a pool or hot tub, with the caption: "Great to soak my legs after a very productive and successful week."
Wilson's ex-fiancée, Lee Keller, a prominent local public affairs consultant, called the post "super troubling" and said she was forwarding it to the Seattle City Attorney's office, which is trying Wilson's case.
Councilmember Claudia Balducci called Wilson's actions "a stain on the reputation of this county."
"He's just thumbing his nose at the public, thumbing his nose at the the court process, making a joke of a very serious issue which is domestic abuse and stalking, Balducci said.
Wilson faces two counts of violation of a no-contact order (domestic violence), which are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
He pleaded not guilty earlier this month.
"There is much more to this on again, off again, on again, off again, et cetera relationship than meets the eye and ear of scandalously selective media sound bites," John Polito, his lawyer, said in a statement at the time. Wilson, he wrote, "is entitled to the same constitutional right to due process afforded anyone else in cases involving their own personal lives."
Wilson was arrested July 2 after Keller called police to report that Wilson was in his car outside her Seattle home, in violation of a no-contact order. Wilson had been under a temporary protection order - his second since 2024 - after she had accused him of a pattern of stalking and harassment.
Wilson, who has been the elected county assessor for more than a decade, was running for King County executive at the time of his arrest. He later dropped his campaign and announced he would not run for another term as assessor.
Keller has twice filed for no-contact orders. After the first order was granted in May 2024, the two reconciled. But she filed for another protective order in May 2025. In court filings for that order, she included screenshots of text messages with Wilson, in which she says their relationship is done, and he persists.
"The scariest message was one where I said, ‘LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!' and he responded, ‘NEVER,' " she wrote.
The previous filing for a protective order against Wilson accused him of stalking, harassment, making a false report to police and falsely accusing her former boyfriend of sexual assault.
According to a police report, Keller called 911 on July 2 after a neighbor told her they'd seen Wilson outside her home.
After police arrived and were speaking with Keller, they wrote, Wilson drove toward them before stopping, quickly turning around and leaving.
The officer pulled Wilson over. According to the report, Wilson said he knew about the restraining order but was there on "official business" and was looking to buy a home in the area.
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