Des Moines council faces deadlock – Wasson resigns, citing state’s investigation

Notes

Seattle Times news article by Bob Young reporting on the resignation of Des Moines City Councilman and former mayor Don Wasson on March 16, 2003, following a campaign finance scandal involving concealed $49,000 in contributions from businessman Hank Hopkins. Hopkins funded the contributions to elect council members Maggie Steenrod, Richard Benjamin, and Gary Petersen, intending to build a conveyor system to transport fill dirt from the Des Moines waterfront to a proposed third runway at Sea-Tac Airport. The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) alleged Wasson and Hopkins violated state disclosure law; PDC spokesman Doug Ellis commented on whether resignation remedies a legal violation. With six remaining council members expected to deadlock, successor appointment may fall to the Metropolitan King County Council.

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