Renton council member Carmen Rivera accused of bullying, harassing city staff for years
May 20, 2025, 10:30 AM
Headshot of Renton City Councilmember Carmen Rivera; exterior of the Renton City Hall. (Photos courtesy of the City of Renton)
(Photos courtesy of the City of Renton)
Six people, including one council member, told Axios that Renton City Councilmember Carmen Rivera has been berating and verbally harassing colleagues for years. She is currently seeking reelection and is seen as a rising star in the Washington Democratic Party.
In an email obtained by Axios from Dec. 2022, Renton City Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn told Renton Police Rivera had been harassing and bullying people for approximately a year.
“I was harassed and verbally attacked by sitting Councilmember Carmen Rivera in public again,” the email read. “The bullying and harassment by Councilmember Rivera has been happening for one year since she has gotten on (the) council. I have not filed an incident report yet, but I am considering that option.”
Rivera is also a member of the Washington State Democrats’ executive committee and is on the state’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission.
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Allegations of bullying from four colleagues
Four other individuals claimed to Axios that they’ve witnessed or were on the receiving end of similar behavior.
They described six instances since 2021 in which they alleged Rivera yelled at them while using profanity, or acted in a way they found physically aggressive or intimidating.
Former Executive Director of Seattle Pride, Krystal Marx, echoed these sentiments, claiming a Pride employee told her that Rivera exhibited harassing behavior while she was a Pride board member. Marx is a former Burien city councilmember who championed progressive causes.
Carmen Rivera denies claims of bullying and harassment
Rivera has denied the allegations, claiming at least one of her accusers was actually bullying her, according to Axios. Her campaign consultant, Michael Charles, called the accusations “politically motivated retaliation.”
Rivera and Charles both believe these accusations are retaliation for Rivera’s support of progressive policies. She gained some popularity for her support of progressive causes on her TikTok account, which has more than 22,000 followers and 335,000 likes.
Seen as a rising voice with the Washington Democratic party, Rivera is also the assistant dean for Student Engagement for the College of Arts and Sciences at Seattle University and an assistant teaching professor for the school’s Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensics.
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