Balducci issues statement on Ombuds’ findings that Assessor Wilson misused county resources and official position

September 2, 2026

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci on Wednesday released the following statement in response to the completed investigation by the King County Ombuds – initiated by a complaint made by Balducci in 2025 – alleging that John Wilson, the King County Assessor, has been using King County resources to contact, stalk, and harass his former domestic partner in violation of King County Ethics Code and violated the King County Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy when he used sexually explicit language on County owned resources:

“I thank the Ombuds staff for their thorough, deliberate, and professional investigation into these serious concerns. Once again, we see our King County Assessor has acted in ways that are unfit for an elected representative, including new findings of misusing his office for personal convenience and gain, among other improprieties.

“I am glad to see that at least there will be some consequences for Assessor Wilson’s trampling of the public trust in the form of a significant fine.

“If we have learned anything from this series of events, it is that there must be a better way to achieve accountability from our elected officials. Already, I have initiated a full review of the County’s code of ethics, including enforcement procedures and will be proposing updates to strengthen the code so that we have more accountability – certainly more than has been the case in this sad situation – to the public we serve.”