Newest Seattle council member calls Kshama Sawant’s remarks ‘disappointing’

Kshama Sawant has yet to mend the wounds she may have opened with her reaction to the appointment of John Okamoto.

When Okamoto was appointed on April 27, Sawant went on a tirade against the new council member and former chief administrative officer of the Port of Seattle. She said appointing Okamoto was “scandalous” and that he participated in a “cesspool of corruption.”

“I think it was disappointing,” Okamoto told KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz. “Most definitely disappointing.”

She has yet to talk with Okamoto outside of a formal greeting, Okamoto said.

“I’ve reached out to all the council members with thank-you notes,” he said. Okamoto has requested meetings with all the council members, too. “[Sawant’s] is the one office that has yet to respond.”

But that isn’t true, according to Sawant’s office. On April 29 the office responded to a request for a meeting. However, no date was set.

“Thank you for reaching out to schedule some time for Councilmembers [sic] to meet with Okamoto,” Clay Showalter wrote to LaTonya Brown. “Kshama isn’t available this Thursday or Friday [April 30 and May 1], but she interested in meeting briefly sometime early next week if that is possible.”

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The two have yet to meet. Okamoto’s first official city council meeting was Monday.

Sawant’s comments drew criticism from other Seattle council members and the media. The Seattle Times’ editorial board said Sawant should issue Okamoto an apology.

“How do you work with someone who refuses to even speak with you?” Rantz asked Okamoto.

Okamoto’s track record shows he can work with disparate interests, he said.

“One area I’m gifted in is listening and finding common ground and moving forward,” he responded. “And I’ll continue to do that with all the council members on this floor.”

But should Sawant apologize to Okamoto?

“I’ll let others decide that,” he said.