‘Going on every station he can to whine’: Attorney for King County Assessor’s ex-fiancée backs allegations laid against him

King County Assessor John Wilson is pushing back against past accusations of stalking and harassing his former fiancée, Lee Keller, as several public figures have urged him to resign while he campaigns for King County Executive.

Lee Keller’s attorney, Paula Kurtz-Kreshel, provided a new perspective ahead of the court hearings for the ongoing restraining orders filed against Wilson on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Lee Keller’s attorney

“(Wilson) is continuing to say that Lee has made up a lot of these allegations, that she has flip-flopped and changed her mind on all this. What is your response to that?” KIRO host Ursula Reutin asked Kurtz-Kreshel.

“I have a lot of responses,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “They have filed to dissolve the registered domestic partnership together multiple times, and he is the petitioner in that case. He has withdrawn those petitions each time.”

Wilson created a post on Facebook attempting to dispel the claims against him for stalking and harassment, ultimately pointing the finger at King County Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay, who are also running for the King County Executive position.

“This has nothing to do with his campaign for county executive,” Kurtz-Keller said. “I have no idea where that’s coming from.”

Wilson has contacted others about Keller

KIRO host Gee Scott said he almost feels involved in this situation, as he knows both Wilson and Keller. Gee’s sons went to school with Keller’s kids.

“First full disclosure, I’ve had great conversations with John Arthur Wilson,” Gee said. “To be specific, the last time was in 2023. This year, he sent me a message saying, ‘I see you’re with my ex-fiancé, Lee Keller, tonight. We should really talk.’ If I’m getting messages like that, are there people that are connected to Lee Keller getting similar messages from him?”

“There were people getting messages from him,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “I know he was reaching out to her son, reaching out to her sister. I do believe he’s reached out to a few public officials who may be friends of Lee’s, but I don’t have any recent evidence of that.”

Gee questioned the legality of Wilson reaching out to family and peers of Keller amid a restraining order between the two.

“You can do that as long as you don’t try to communicate with Ms. Keller through this third party,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “What’s being lost in all of his media rants and ravings is that nothing he said to date is relevant.

“He has yet to deny the specific behaviors that led to this restraining order, and he can’t; the evidence is literally in black and white and contained in the court’s file,” Kurtz-Kreshel added.

Restraining order filed by Keller

Keller filed a temporary restraining order against Wilson last month. She previously filed one in May 2024.

“(Wilson’s) repeatedly violated the restraining order, and he continues to do so,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “It shows disregard for the rule of law. It shows disregard for the orders of the King County Superior Court. He is solidly in contempt of court at this time, and he should be expecting to be served with a notice of contempt shortly.”

The ongoing legal battle has put Wilson under increasing public scrutiny. Earlier, the King County Council passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in Wilson’s leadership.

“(Keller) has nothing to do with his run for county executive,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “He is waging this campaign against my client and, to be frank, he’s going on every station he can to whine and basically cry witch hunt. (Keller’s) not waging a media war. Lee Keller has decided to try this case in the courts where it belongs.”

Gee asked Kurtz-Kreshel to explain how Keller may be feeling amid this entire ordeal.

“She’s nervous, she’s scared. She has a job to do, she’s in a very public career, and trying to do her job,” Kurtz-Kreshel said. “He’s harassing her, threatening her, and trying to negatively impact her career. I would say she’s concerned for her safety; he’s acting in a way that is somewhat erratic.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.