Seattle City Council approves pay for Councilmember Sawant legal defense over recall efforts
The Seattle City Council on Tuesday, with a 7-1 vote, approved a bill to fund the legal defense for Councilmember Kshama Sawant against a pending recall charge.
The recall charge, which will go before a judge Wednesday in King County Superior Court, alleged that Sawant had "used her position in violation of the law or has recklessly undermined the safety of others" including giving protesters access to City Hall, leading a march to Jenny Durkan's private residence and encouraging protesters to occupy the area near the Seattle Police Department's Precinct as part of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest.
During the special meeting, several council members voiced their immediate support for the bill, citing how it was a standard practice to provide legal defense to public officials.
"I want to be clear that I'm voting yes and in doing so not commenting on the merits of the recall's allegations and voting for the values of our democracy here in Seattle," Councilmember Andrew Lewis said. "It's a slippery slope if we start picking and choosing who does or doesn't receive this legal representation."
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/city-council-approves-kshama-sawant-legal-defense-15569376.php