‘We received some new information’: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson recall petition withdrawn as couple pursues further charges

The Seattle couple behind a recall effort against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has withdrawn their petition.

They were in court Thursday, asking a judge to dismiss the recall effort.

“We received some new information that needs to be addressed,” Melinda Jacobson, who filed the petition, told the judge.

Judge Patrick Oishi allowed it.

“It’s going to dismiss this recall petition and cancel the hearing for next Monday,” Oishi said.

Mayor Katie Wilson’s attorney calls petition ‘entirely frivolous’

Wilson’s attorney Dmitri Iglitzin called the petition “entirely frivolous” and said it has “imposed substantial costs” on multiple government agencies.

“The decision by the recall petitioners to bring what we have characterized in our briefing, and I think is frankly beyond dispute, an entirely frivolous recall petition against Mayor Wilson, seeking to have her recalled for making what are clearly good-faith discretionary and reasonable decisions as to how to fulfill her duties as mayor, has imposed substantial costs on King County Department of Elections, King County Prosecutor’s Office, King County Superior Court, as well as the City of Seattle itself, the mayor’s office, and Katie Wilson personally,” he said.

Couple retains lawyer to pursue further charges against Wilson

The couple said their recall effort is not over. Instead, they said they’ve retained a lawyer as they pursue further charges against the mayor, who they claim has been “derelict in her duty.”

“We found some additional information that needs to be investigated as per the charges. That’s number one,” Jacobson said. “Number two, ever since we heard from the court, the prosecuting attorney’s office, we have tried to find an attorney. I cannot begin to tell you how many attorneys I’ve talked to here in Seattle.

“Finally, as of last night, we found somebody who wants to represent us, and he instructed us that we should file a civil 41(a)(1)(A), which I understand is filing a petition, or whatever you want to call this paperwork, without prejudice,” she continued.

A couple has withdrawn their recall petition against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson as they pursue further charges. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

Recall petitioner says frustration with Wilson had been building for months

Jacobson, a lifelong Seattle resident, told “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio Aug. 14 that the Bite of Seattle shooting was “the icing on the cake” after months of frustration. She highlighted the mayor’s response to the ongoing crisis on Aurora Avenue, where a community march was held the first Saturday in June that Wilson did not attend.

“She didn’t fully address it until June 30,” Jacobson said. “There were city officials there at the time, including past city officials and current city officials, but no Katie.”

Jacobson also said citizens she has spoken with share a common view of the mayor.

“They describe her as a mayor in training wheels,” Jacobson said.

What the judge ruled on and what he didn’t

While Oishi dismissed the recall petition without prejudice and canceled the sufficiency hearing, he noted there is legal precedent for withdrawing a recall petition, citing two Washington cases where petitioners voluntarily withdrew at the sufficiency stage.

However, Oishi was clear about what he was not ruling on: he did not weigh in on whether the recall charges were sufficient, and he did not address Iglitzin’s characterization of the petition as frivolous or his reference to potential sanctions and attorneys’ fees, saying there was not enough information before the court to make such a ruling.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas and Jason Sutich, MyNorthwest

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