King County Assessor John Wilson faces calls for resignation

King County Assessor John Wilson is facing calls for his resignation from the Chief Deputy Assessor and nine other division heads following an investigation by the King County Office of the Ombuds. The report, released September 1, 2026, concluded that Wilson violated the King County Ethics Code in four distinct areas: the use of county resources for personal benefit, misuse of office authority, campaign-related activity, and violations of a court order.

Specific findings include Wilson using his official county email to negotiate a personal residential lease and to request a wellness check from the Sheriff’s Office for his domestic partner. Additionally, the report found he used county software and email to support his 2025 campaign for King County Executive. The investigation also identified the use of sexually explicit language on county-owned technology assets, violating the King County Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy.

The ethics probe was prompted by a complaint from Councilmember Claudia Balducci regarding allegations that Wilson used county resources to harass a former domestic partner. Chief Deputy Assessor Al Dams stated that the department has lost confidence in Wilson’s leadership due to the degradation of the department’s credibility.