King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson faces new calls to resign amid stalking scandal

For the second time in less than a year, the King County Council is calling on embattled County Assessor John Arthur Wilson to step down.

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Wilson, whom the Council cannot remove from office, oversees the department responsible for appraising property values in the county. The three-term tax assessor has been at the center of an ongoing case of alleged stalking and harassment that ended his bid for higher office last year.

On Tuesday, the nine-member Council unanimously approved a motion to review and sign a letter asking Wilson to resign from his elected duties “effective immediately.”

“I hope he does the right thing,” Councilmember Sarah Perry, who co-authored the letter, told KUOW.

Wilson did not respond to requests for comment.

The Council previously called for Wilson to resign last June, after his ex-fiancée, Lee Keller, filed multiple restraining orders against him. Wilson was running for county executive at the time.

The following month, Wilson was arrested outside Keller’s Seattle home in violation of a no-contact order. He dropped out of the executive race in October, issued an apology, and said he would not seek re-election for his assessor position when his term expires at the end of 2026.

In March, the Seattle City Attorney’s office charged Wilson criminally for the no-contact violation. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.

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The Council's new letter said the allegations against Wilson have damaged public trust in his ability to serve and have created a distraction from his office’s duties.

“Our residents rely on the office of the assessor to provide critical county functions, and at this point, they would be better served by your resignation,” the letter to Wilson reads, in part.

Perry and three other members — Jorge Barón, Reagan Dunn, and Claudia Balducci — had already signed the letter ahead of Tuesday's vote, after which the other five would receive a copy to sign at their discretion.

Balducci said in a public meeting Tuesday the scandal surrounding Wilson was a "stain on the reputation of this county."

Balducci also referenced social media posts Wilson made last week, in which he appeared to be "thumbing his nose" at voters and the legal system. The posts featured photos of the assessor shirtless in a hot tub.

"What a great night to soak in the tub and let your cares float away," Wilson wrote on one of the photos.

The posts came shortly after a judge reversed an order requiring Wilson to wear an ankle monitor to alert Keller if he came within 1,000 feet of her, as first reported by PubliCola. Wilson had claimed he has a medical condition requiring daily soaking of his legs.

Barón noted Tuesday's vote was "not about sending someone to jail" but about assessing Wilson's conduct. He noted the importance of the ongoing legal process and said he hoped Wilson would step down, adding elected officials like Wilson "should be held to a higher standard than any individual in the community."

Perry told KUOW that, were Wilson to resign, another member of his office would likely run the department until voters elect a new assessor this fall.

Keller has alleged in court filings that Wilson tracked her location in the past, showed up at her new address, and forcibly kissed her. Records also show a text exchange in which Keller told Wilson to leave her alone; Wilson texted back, "Never."

Other elected officials, including King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, also previously called for Wilson to resign.

A recall election by voters would be required to remove Wilson from office before his term ends.

Scott Greenstone contributed reporting.