Councilmember Lisa Herbold to pay $500 in ethics-complaint settlement

West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold has agreed to pay $500 to settle an ethics complaint. It stems from last fall’s appearance of an unhitched trailer on the street outside her Highland Park home, shortly after a former council candidate had threatened to tow RVs to councilmembers’ homes. The night it turned up, Herbold texted Police Chief Carmen Best to ask what to do, and the Ethics and Elections Commission said she shouldn’t have done that. The backstory, allegation, and even the texts are all in the settlement document, which you can read here (PDF) or below:

The trailer was eventually found to have belonged to a woman who had it towed there, near her family’s house. The settlement is expected to be finalized at the commission’s meeting tomorrow (4 pm at the Municipal Tower downtown).

A. Schiff February 4, 2020 (3:52 pm)

Abuse of power. Impeach her!

Owen Rubel February 5, 2020 (9:14 am)

Settle down.
- West Seattle Hipster February 5, 2020 (11:38 am)
  
  Please check the commenters name, “Adam’s” comment went way over your head.

Lola February 4, 2020 (4:02 pm)

Same thing should have been done to Sally Bagshaw for having the police look for her bike when it was stolen. Why should she get special treatment from the police when nobody else does?

Fappy February 4, 2020 (4:11 pm)

Wasn’t familiar with the Bagshaw story. What was the end result? Did they find her bike?
- CandrewB February 5, 2020 (5:22 am)
  
  O’Brien did the same thing
Question Mark February 5, 2020 (10:52 am)

It’s laugable, really, for so many on the anti-herbold side to be complaining she should be kicked out of office so close on the heels of the recent election. She won.
- Joel Johnston February 5, 2020 (12:07 pm)
  
  So did Trump. Hasn’t stopped the Progressives from playing their games
- alki_2008 February 5, 2020 (12:38 pm)
  
  Well, the people that are complaining about her probably didn’t vote for her. Not sure how you logically think it makes the situation “laughable” – that’s like saying people should never complain about somebody that wins an election, because ‘they won’

flimflam February 4, 2020 (4:16 pm)

glad to see this reported here – what a fraud. i’m sure there will be folks defending her but this is cut and dry.

Onion February 4, 2020 (4:33 pm)

Really? I’m not a fan of Herbold, but if this had happened to me and I knew the chief of police (I don’t) I probably would have asked for help or guidance as to how I could handle this.
- Banana February 4, 2020 (5:29 pm)
  
  The difference here is that you are not a city councilmember. There is a code of ethics she is expected to uphold, the same rules do not apply to you. She expressed concern that this would be seen as her receiving “special treatment” due to her position, that is red flag number one.Someone working in city politics should understand the proper way to report an issue or concern to the police. If she can’t figure that out, maybe she’s not fit for the job.
- Pelicans February 4, 2020 (11:50 pm)
  
  She could have done exactly what the rest of us have to do, i.e called the SPD non-emergency number and/or selected the option for dumped or abandoned vehicles.
- Pelicans February 5, 2020 (2:31 am)
  
  Per the email, the Chief of SPD didn’t know her…
  - alki_2008 February 5, 2020 (12:42 pm)
    
    The Chief knows Herbold, the Chief simply didn’t recognize the phone number that Herbold used to text her.
    .
    I think the bigger problem is that Herbold asserted that a specific person should be investigated and charged for the towing situation, instead of just saying “Hey, there’s a towed RV in front of my house. What should I do about it?”
    .
    Best did a better job of following the specific ethics rules they agreed to. Hats off to her. Too bad Herbold couldn’t do the same.
- Joel Johnston February 5, 2020 (12:07 pm)
  
  Then you would be wrong! Simple.

vincent February 4, 2020 (4:16 pm)

The fine is embarrassing small. The cost of the legal team who wrote up and discussed the claim likely exceeded $500 by a exponent.The number of ethics fines the council and appointees pay should be alarming as well.

John Smith February 4, 2020 (9:37 pm)

This reminds me of the novel “Animal Farm” by George Orwell: some are more equal than others.

Zmmr February 4, 2020 (4:37 pm)

Time for changeVote Republicans !@

KBear February 4, 2020 (9:19 pm)

You can’t vote Republican in the city council race. It’s nonpartisan. I would gladly pay Lisa’s fine myself if some of the complainers would learn how government actually works.
Michael Ostrogorsky February 5, 2020 (1:45 pm)

Trump Cultists complaining about Lisa Herbold not following the rules is the funniest thing on social media today!

Emily L February 4, 2020 (4:41 pm)

You can tell from the text chain that the chief Best clearly did not know who it was thus removing her argument that she was texting as a friend asking for help further building the case she was abusing her position. Props to Chief Best for doing the right thing

Nigel February 4, 2020 (5:17 pm)

She abuses her $130,000 a year job and gets a $500 fine. Sounds like privilege.

Peter February 4, 2020 (5:59 pm)

Herbold is a disgrace and unfit to hold office. Unfortunately, her competition in the last election was far worse than her, and I still feel sick about having to vote for Herbold to keep Tavel out of office. I’m utterly disgusted. West Seattle deserves better.

West Seattle Guy February 5, 2020 (8:55 am)

Any specifics to share in Tavel? I didn’t see many differences between the two in the q & A’s posted here.

Rico Dynamite February 4, 2020 (10:30 pm)

Herbold is a train wreck. One suggestion to her and others currently in office: Take a moment and read the Seattle City Charter – you may learn something about the office and your responsibilities.

Mj February 4, 2020 (10:31 pm)

Peter agreed, but Seattle politics has veered way too far to the left. A good pragmatic center left politician would be welcome.

CandrewB February 5, 2020 (5:26 am)

A good, pragmatic, center-left candidate is portrayed by the Marxists as a member of the alt-right and they’ll be assisted by most of the local media.

61stmama February 4, 2020 (11:09 pm)

Something that’s sad about this is it seems clear Herbold doesn’t have any local relationships with SPD in West Seattle. Is she not on a first-name basis with the Community Police Team officer in her neighborhood? That is who is programmed into my phone, when I have a question or issue that may not be appropriate for the general non-emergency SPD number. Very glad she was called out on this ethics violation.

Will S. February 5, 2020 (10:32 am)

I think this observation is spot on. It appears that Herbold does not have the working relationship with the precinct-level police that I would expect any councilmember to have. It’s amazing that Herbold apparently experienced for the first time during this episode the difficulties that are presented to anyone trying to report a non-emergency issue outside of 9-to-5. And it is even more amazing that Herbold claims to provide “truly superior constituent services,” when I personally would judge her performance in this regard as unacceptable. All that said, I am puzzled by the settlement agreement’s legal conclusion that it’s unethical for a councilmember to communicate directly with the chief of police because most residents don’t have that option. I suppose that this is mere sloppy drafting rather than a statement of law, but everyone has signed the agreement as if it makes sense.

StopVotingForHerbold February 5, 2020 (12:02 am)

This is not the first time Herbold has done something unethical. Please read the following editorial about Hebold and Sawant’s blatant and unethical abuse of power over the Showbox that cost tax payers over a million dollars in legal fees and costs – all because Herbold and Sawant thought they were above the law. https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-times-recommends-egan-orion-for-seattle-city-council-district-3-dont-waste-your-vote-on-kshama-sawant/“When it became known last year that the venerable First Avenue music
venue would be displaced by a residential tower, Sawant proposed an
improper spot rezone to impede the project, then jeopardized the
preservation effort by flouting rules calling for fair and unbiased
council decision-making. Other council members, notably Lisa Herbold,
went along, prompting a $40 million lawsuit against the city.”

My two cents ... February 5, 2020 (2:54 am)

Would love to get a tally of legal expenses resulting from all of the city Council failed actions (income tax, etc.) and various other legal actions due to comments. No reference is made to that with respect to addressing the issues and the funding.

My two cents ... February 5, 2020 (2:51 am)

Typical of Councilmember Herbold … Two sets of rules and expectations, one for herself and one for the rest of us. The fact that she texted the police chief and Chief Best didn’t even know who she was via the initial text further illustrates how Herbold view herself and her position on the importance of her self. 99.9% of people would just call the police department…bit not Herbold. Ego monster.

Duke M. February 5, 2020 (7:03 am)

YES! Thank you Chief Best! Remind them you aren’t bought and paid for

Jenny February 5, 2020 (7:36 am)

If only a fraction of the energy spent hating Herbold on here were channeled into helping our community…

KM February 5, 2020 (9:03 am)

Lol, no kidding. She broke the rules and has to pay, that’s great! I have a hard time believing the peanut gallery has ever broken a rule (and/or cost the city any money), so the “angry” comments lack serious self-awareness.
My two cents ... February 5, 2020 (11:18 am)

It’s frustration with her approach – why call the Police like all of us would do? Nope – not good enough. I will text the Chief of Police (who doesn’t even know my number). She preaches about equality for the common people and yet it’s somehow not quite good enough for her when she now has to look out her window. Herbold is in it for herself and not the constituents that she is supposedly here to serve.

Doug February 5, 2020 (7:55 am)

Absolutely shameful. You get what you voted for.I did enjoy the Chief asking: “Who is this?”

Ivan Weiss February 5, 2020 (8:58 am)

Lisa didn’t whine, she didn’t complain, she didn’t protest, she didn’t play the victim. She made a mistake, she accepted responsibility for it, she paid her fine, and she moved on.
–
The comments from the haters on this thread are debased and pathetic. Lisa hasn’t put little children in cages, or allowed mining companies and chemical plants to pollute our water supply, or given medals to racist, homophobic, misogynistic TV loudmouths. Where is your outrage at that?
–
You couldn’t beat her at the polls, and if this is the face of opposition you present, you never will. So you are reduced to whining and displaying your impotence on these comment threads. What a pack of fine citizens you are.

OPVOTINGFORHERBOLD February 5, 2020 (11:10 am)

It is sad to read your comments as well as those made by Jenny. No legitimate response to the unethical issues of the Showbox has been posting – we are not whining, you are simply ignoring the issues (e.g. Showbox and a million dollars of tax payer’s money down the drain).Time and time again I see comments like yours in the comments section: people responding to a legitimate comment by naming calling and insults – elementary school behavior. Instead of insulting, why don’t you try to help hold your city council representatives accountable and ethical by not voting for them, calling them out here, and, at the very least, stop blasting those who actually try to keep up on the issues (e.g. Showbox) and vote accordingly.We still live in a democracy – that means being respectful of each others opinions, whether or not you agree with them or not. And as far as Jenny’s comment – how do you know we don’t spend time helping our communities? Is calling out repeated unethical behaviors by our city council (i.e. acting above the law) mutually exclusive to helping our communities? Why do you feel the need to insult people to make your point.
My two cents ... February 5, 2020 (11:21 am)

Woah there! Babies in cages? Talk about going off topic! Won’t even give you any credence for the rest of your scree.
KM February 5, 2020 (11:21 am)

Worth noting that the Seattle resident who threatened to drop off RV’s in front of council-members’ homes and issued the PDR is a failed council candidate himself (District 2). He couldn’t make it past the primaries, nor can he piece together a timeline from the records he received in the PDR (which came rather quickly compared to PDR requests from actual journalists in our region!) If people are truly upset at who is representing us on the council, they need some viable candidates that the majority of their community will vote for. It looks like the amount of comments against these “left-wing” council members aren’t a representation of the voting public after all, as the more progressive candidates won nearly every seat in the general election.

Al February 5, 2020 (9:19 am)

Times like these, I wish we couldn’t post anonymously. The level of vitriol surrounding this incident is truly bizarre and more than a little suspect…

Concerned Citizen February 5, 2020 (11:41 am)

The level of vitriol is likely driven by the combination of how objectively bad Herbold has been for the city while also being extremely condescending to her constituents. She’s very unpopular despite getting another term.Also, it doesn’t surprise me that she isn’t familiar with the precinct level police officers. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being on several email threads with the West Seattle community policing team, the SW precinct captain, and Herbold. She was flippant and condescending to all of us.
- Jort February 7, 2020 (10:17 am)
  
  “She’s very unpopular despite getting another term.” Translation: “Everyone hates her SO MUCH that they reelected her by an overwhelming, double-digit margins!” Look, I know that you and probably the people you chat with have a visceral, overwhelming hatred of Lisa Herbold, but, you know, when we posed the question to actual people in our district, we overwhelmingly and decisvely re-elected her. It wasn’t even close. It was a blowout. To say that “she’s very unpopular” has no basis in fact or reality whatsoever. Stop saying it.
Pelicans February 5, 2020 (12:57 pm)

Why are people’s strong emotions “a little suspect?” Ever hear of the First Amendment?

Aerial Observer February 5, 2020 (1:37 pm)

As noted already, this violation was part of a pattern of behavior showing CM Herbold’s casual attitude about rulebreaking. As with the blatantly-illegal spot rezone of the Showbox parcel, she had no reason at all to do what she did. (And her attempt to contact our Chief of Police over an RV parked in front of her house helps make the point such vehicles can be dangerous to have near.)

My two cents ... February 5, 2020 (3:26 pm)

Agreed. Herbold and many other Councilmembers seem more focused on getting a headline than coming up with actual solutions that hold up in court (e.g. Showbox, Income Tax), or don’t get the City sued (Sawant and the “slumlord” comment … the SPD comment), or addressing local issues and not going to NY to rail against Amazon (Herbold). I’m sure when you add up the dollars and time spent, we all would be shocked. These examples are not indicative of forward progress towards the issues that our community, our region faces.

Shawn February 5, 2020 (2:26 pm)

Sometimes a slap on the wrist is actually the correct level of punishment.

KBear February 5, 2020 (3:47 pm)

Exactly, Shawn. But I’d be willing to bet most of the folks complaining that the $500 fine was too low would find it “excessive” were it assessed to them.

CAM February 5, 2020 (3:37 pm)

Let’s all be real here. What she did was an ethical violation but she isn’t like us either. She is in a public position which makes her the subject of threats and harrassment and jeopardizes her safety, and that of her family, in a way that I imagine most posters here would not understand. To say that you know what you would do in her shoes is inaccurate. She did the wrong thing but it’s not like she doesn’t have reason to be more suspicious than most of us when something like this occurs. She’d been receiving threats for months and had no idea what was going on. She should have handled it differently and she’s been reprimanded and fined. Let’s put the tar and feathers away for a little while longer.

flimflam February 5, 2020 (4:39 pm)

when was she threatened? i don’t recall hearing anything about that…even if true, it would have nothing to do with this violation.this isn’t the crime of the century or anything, but its odd how herbold supporters are so quick to dismiss this ethics violation with a shrug – this doesn’t happen everyday and should be taken seriously.
- Canton February 5, 2020 (8:20 pm)
  
  Spot on response.
- CAM February 6, 2020 (7:22 am)
  
  How did I dismiss it? When did I say it was not important?

Lifelong Democrat February 5, 2020 (6:42 pm)

She is in violation of state law. She should be under investigation of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant. This is a gross misdemeanor. Her council position should be suspended until the investigation is complete and if found guilty, the election should be recalled.

She abused her position folks. It goes way beyond ethics. We have laws for a reason. The irony of her chairing a committee overseeing police and law enforcement staggers me. Allowing her to skate off with a $500 fine shows everything wrong with our municipal government.

bolo February 5, 2020 (10:10 pm)

Trying to make sense of this, now I’m really confused. Can one of you good people tell me what she is guilty of? Thanks!

WSB February 5, 2020 (10:50 pm)

It’s very clear in the document. Under “conclusions of law,” page 2 above. If you can’t see the embedded version, here’s the link:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ethicssettle.pdf
- bolo February 6, 2020 (11:14 pm)
  
  Thank you, I see it clearly.
  
  Yes, we must hold ALL our government officeholders to the same fair ethical standards.

Huck February 10, 2020 (11:19 pm)

I wonder what Jort will do when Trump is OVERWHELMINGLY reelected? Sorry, but he keeps mentioning how Herbold was reelected, so I just had to. I’m saying it right now, Trump election victory will be a land slide.

Sorry, comment time is over.