D.J.Wilson Fights Back, Makes His Case With Voice-Mails, Memos, Documents

Edmonds City Councilman D.J. Wilson, who was censured Tuesday night by the council by a 5-1 vote (Wilson voted against and Lora Petso abstained), says he has done nothing wrong and that move was politically motivated. Wilson is being challenged in this Tuesday's general election by Joan Bloom.

City Council members Michael Plunkett, Steve Bernheim and Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, who are all publicly supporting  Joan Bloom, voted for censure. The two other councilmembers who voted for censure, Strom Peterson and Diane Buckshnis, have not come out in support of Wilson or Bloom.

Wilson was censured for his role in attempting to arrange a settlement for Kim Cole, Mayor Mike Cooper’s executive assistant. Cole, who is still technically on paid administrative leave, resigned on Sept. 22 after created by certain employees of the city of Edmonds. One of the employees, according to e-mails obtained by Edmonds Patch, was Human Resources director Debi Humann. Humann was fired by Cooper the same day that Cole resigned.

Here is Wilson's updated statement, available his website. The links include a recording of a conversation with Cooper and documents that Wilson says support his argument that he should not have been censured.

Last night, an irresponsible Council took an amazingly irresponsible action.

By introducing a motion of censure, at 11:00 pm, and without having put the item on the agenda for public notice, they put bad politics over good government.  With the election one week away, the motion came from a co-chair of my opponent’s campaign. It was made up of facts that were inaccurate or facts that were irrelevant.

But the facts here did not matter.  This action was about politics alone.

I have done nothing wrong.

I acted at the repeated request of the mayor, and with the direct and clear authorization of the city attorney.

The very first thing I did when I heard about a motion of censure was to request a public hearing from Council President Strom Peterson.  I wanted all of Edmonds to see what was happening in executive session.  I was denied.

I requested the support of legal counsel.  I was denied.

Through my attorney, paid for by my personal funds, I requested a public hearing again yesterday.  Again, I was denied.  Council President Peterson has at his discretion the ability to schedule a hearing, but he chose not to.  The law is clear on this matter (42.30.110(1)(f)) – I have the right to a public hearing.  For political reasons, that right was denied.

I have made every effort to inform the Council of my actions.  They responded with “no thank you.”  In fact, in executive session, they asked me to leave the room rather than present the facts.  When I asked Council President Peterson if he would like to read my full testimony regarding Kim Cole’s separation, he said “I don’t need to do that.”

City government is not a social club.  By denying me my right to a public hearing, adopting a resolution they know to be factually inaccurate, and by holding illegal executive sessions on the matter, this Council and its members commit at least 4 crimes for misconduct of public officers.

In the interest of the public and of full disclosure, and as a public officer of the City of Edmonds, I have no choice but to forward this matter to the prosecutor for investigation.

This is a distraction from the important work we have before us in Edmonds – like solving our budget crisis, fully funding public safety, and keeping our streets safe.  The list goes on and on.  We have important work to do that can have a real, positive influence in the lives of our community.  Instead, this results only in embarrassment.

We deserve better than the behavior and actions of this Council.