Seattle councilmember Kshama Sawant acknowledges violation of ethics code

In a settlement agreement filed by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission on Friday, councilmember Kshama Sawant acknowledged several ethics violations related to last February’s “Tax Amazon” initiative, and has agreed to pay $3,515.74 to settle the issue.

The accusations against Sawant include creating posters to support the proposition that included the official seal of Seattle, posting links on Sawant’s city council website to sites supporting the proposition, and spending at least $1,758.87 in city funds to promote the “Tax Amazon” campaign.

The ethics code of Seattle prohibits councilmembers from using city facilities to promote ballot measures and using city resources for other than city purposes.

According to the settlement document, Sawant acknowledges she violated the ethics code and agreed to pay a fine of $3,515.74, which is two times the amount of the city funds used.

Once the payment is made, both parties agreed to consider the matter resolved.

If Sawant fails to make the payment, the ethics commission may elect to impose a fine of up to $5,000 per violation.

KIRO 7 TV has reached out to the office of Kshama Sawant for comment.

By KIRO 7 News Staff