1 FILED THE HONORABLE JIM ROGERS 2020 SEP 11 02:15 PM KING COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CLERK E-FILED CASE #: 20-2-13314-1 SEA 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING IN RE THE MATTER OF RECALL No. 20-2-13314-1 SEA CHARGES AGAINST CITY OF SEATTLE COUNCILMEMBER KSHAMA SAWANT DECLARATION OF KSHAMA (SAWANT) SAWANT 10 11 12 I, Kshama Sawant, declare and state as follows: 13 1. 14 15 I am over the age of 18 years and am competent to make this declaration which is based upon my personal knowledge. 2. I was first elected to the Seattle City Council in 2013, backed by Socialist 16 Alternative, of which I am a member. When I was sworn into office on January 6, 2014, I 17 became the first socialist to win a seat on the City Council since 1877 and the first to win a 18 citywide election in Seattle since 1916. 19 3. After assuming office, I helped to champion a successful effort to increase 20 Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. I have also advocated for an income tax on wealthy 21 residents of Seattle, rent control, and police reform. In 2017 and 2018, I helped lead the push to 22 institute a big business tax which would have taxed Seattle’s largest corporations on a per- 23 employee basis in order to fund public affordable housing and homelessness services. Amazon, 24 the largest private employer in Seattle, responded to the initial passage of the tax by the Council DECLARATION OF KSHAMA SAWANT – Page 1 Case No. 20-2-13314-1 SEA 1 in 2018 by funding what became a successful campaign to obtain repeal of the tax ordinance 2 shortly thereafter. Subsequently, in 2020, I spearheaded the “Tax Amazon” campaign that led to 3 passage of a big business tax four times larger than the one previously passed and repealed. 4 4. I have attended many Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in Seattle, including 5 during 2020. Among these, I have attended BLM demonstrations on public property, in a 6 neighborhood believed to be more-or-less where Mayor Durkan lives (chosen as a protest target 7 for being a predominantly white and wealthy neighborhood, as well as the assumed vicinity of 8 the Mayor’s residence), and also in Seattle City Council District 3. I did not lead the protest in 9 Mayor Durkan’s neighborhood nor most of the other BLM protests I attended, in which I simply 10 participated like any other private citizen would. 11 5. I observed that dozens of BLM protests were organized between late May and 12 early July, 2020. I further observed that the demonstrations featured a variety of protest tactics as 13 well as participants who varied widely in terms of age, race, profession, and other demographic 14 factors. 15 16 17 18 19 6. I, along with many others, have addressed crowds of BLM demonstrators at the Seattle Department’s East Precinct, in the Windermere neighborhood, and at Seattle City Hall. 7. I do not know, nor have I ever known, the home address of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. 8. On June 9, 2020, I gathered with other BLM marchers at Seattle City Hall. Nearly 20 everyone who was gathered there wore masks. We held an hour-long, peaceful rally inside of the 21 City Hall building. The speeches offered on that day, including one by me, criticized the inaction 22 of Seattle’s local government officials in stemming police violence. Some speakers, including 23 myself, opined that City Hall was a good target for demonstrations because they believed that the 24 DECLARATION OF KSHAMA SAWANT – Page 2 Case No. 20-2-13314-1 SEA City Council, the Mayor, and other public servants have a responsibility to address police brutality. 9. City Hall was open to the public on June 9, 2020, and no rules that I am aware of prohibit me from inviting personal guests of my choosing into the building with me at any time I choose. My fellow councilmembers also invite guests, there have been nighttime rallies in City Hall previously, and I am additionally aware that the City Hall has, until recently, hosted an overnight homeless shelter. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing statements are true and correct. SIGNED at Seattle, Washington, this 11th day of September, 2020. Ksham Sawant DECLARATION OF KSHAMA SAWANT Page 3 BAR NARD Case No. 20-2-13314-1 SEA SFATTLH.WASHINGTON 98119 IG LITZI TEL 800.238.4231 FAX way/8.4132 A I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DECLARATION OF SERVICE I, Jennifer Woodward, declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington, that on the date set forth below I served the foregoing document, in the manner noted, on the following parties: PARTY/COUNSEL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS Jennifer Atchison King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office 900 King County Administration Building 500 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Jennifer.atchison@kingcounty.com Hand Delivery Certified Mail Facsimile E-mail U.S. Mail E-Service John McKay Chris Morley Jordan Harris 920 Fifth Avenue, suite 3300 Seattle, WA 98101 johnmckay@dwt.com chrismorley@dwt.com jordanharris@dwt.com Hand Delivery Certified Mail Facsimile E-mail U.S. Mail E-Service 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DATED this 11th day of September, 2020, at Shoreline, Washington. 17 By: Jennifer Woodward, Paralegal 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 DECLARATION OF SERVICE Case No. 20-2-13314-1 SEA