King County Assessor John Wilson violated ethics code 4 times, ombuds report finds

King County Assessor John Wilson violated the county’s ethics code in four separate instances, according to a report released Wednesday by the King County Office of the Ombuds. The ethics violations involve misuse of government resources, abuse of his office’s authority, and improper campaign activity.

According to the report, Wilson used his county email address to engage in conduct expressly prohibited by court orders and to negotiate a personal residential lease. Investigators found he leveraged his title and an official county government website bearing his photo and professional information to pressure a property manager into a lease agreement for himself and his then-partner.

Wilson also used his county email to request the King County Sheriff’s Office conduct a wellness check on his domestic partner.

Investigators found Wilson used the county email system and county software for his 2025 campaign for King County executive.

The ombuds office also found Wilson used sexually explicit language on county-owned devices.

The investigation began after a complaint was filed with the ombuds office in June of 2025. The complaint alleged Wilson was using county resources to contact, stalk, and harass his former domestic partner.

According to the Seattle Times, Wilson will face $20,000 in civil penalties and has 20 days to appeal.

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Wilson for comment.

Criminal charges against Wilson were dropped this past June after his ex-fiancée declined to cooperate.

The Seattle Times obtained the court records in the case involving Wilson. They show prosecutors filed a dismissal Monday, citing new information, although no details were released.

Wilson faced two counts of violating a restraining order against his ex-fiancée, Lee Keller.

In May, a judge ordered Wilson to wear a GPS ankle monitor, citing concerns he would not follow court orders in the domestic violence case.

The judge said she lost confidence in Wilson’s compliance after a recent social media post appeared to show him celebrating the fact that he had not been required to wear the device. The post came hours after a previous court ruling allowed Wilson to avoid GPS monitoring due to alleged health concerns, including the need to wear compression socks and soak his legs daily.

Wilson had pleaded not guilty in April to violating a court order after his arrest outside his ex’s home.

King County Assessor arrested for alleged stalking

In July, he was arrested for allegedly stalking Keller outside of her Seattle home while a restraining order against him was in place. Wilson later apologized and dropped a run for county executive. In October, he announced he would not seek re-election after officials called for his resignation.

“It is clear that John Wilson needs to address his ongoing and escalating behavior and resign as county assessor,” King County Council member Claudia Balducci wrote in a statement in response to Wilson’s arrest. “Alongside advocates for survivors of violence and intimate partner abuse, I have repeatedly called for Wilson to step aside. For too long, we have allowed people in positions of power to be shielded from accountability for abusive behavior. The people and employees of King County deserve better from their leadership.”

Wilson denied the stalking allegations on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio last year.

“Yeah, my name is on the ballot,” he said. “And frankly, I know in my heart, I know that the facts, not the allegations, the facts will clear up that I did nothing to put her in danger. That I did not stalk her in some way. That she was in fear of [her] life. That I was abusive to her, just the opposite.”

Wilson’s term as assessor ends this year.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo, Luke Duecy, and Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

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