Seattle's socialist mayor was dealt yet another public humiliation as damning texts between a fellow Democratic lawmaker and the Washington governor about her performance during a July mass shooting were leaked.
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texts → deal → shooting
The texts revealed on Wednesday show how the state's Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson's office and Seattle leaders coordinated calls and discussed a public briefing about the shooting at July's Bite of Seattle festival.
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office → reveal → festival
The shootout between rival gang members near the iconic Space Needle on July 26 left three people dead, four injured and thousands in fear for their lives as they ran from the scene in terror.
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they → leave → terror
Amid Mayor Katie Wilson's botched response, US House of Representatives Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal expressed shock to Governor Ferguson, texting: 'I'm not confident she knows what she is doing.'
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she → botch → what
Wilson has faced scrutiny over her handling of the deadly shooting after police accused her of causing a five-hour delay in releasing public information.
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police → face → information
Newly released text messages show that the mayor is dealing with doubt from her own peers, Komo News reported.
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News → release → peers
During the night of the shooting, Governor Ferguson texted Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal that he had the same information as Wilson and was in Olympia, Washington's capital, preparing to go to Seattle.
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he → texte → Seattle
Jayapal responded that she had suggested to the lefty mayor that she should bring elected officials together for a call with the police chief.
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she → respond → chief
She added that if the city held a public conference, 'it would be good if we are all there.'
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we → add → conference
Ferguson agreed.
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Ferguson → agree → ?
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has been accused of delaying the release of public information about a deadly shooting until she was ready to give a press conference at 11pm
The newly released text messages are the worst humiliation blow yet for mayor Katie Wilson
The texts show how Wilson has to deal with doubt from her own peers.
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Wilson → accuse → peers
The messages were released after a first batch went public earlier this month
It was just after 10pm that Jayapal questioned Wilson's competency when considering whether to go to the Seattle Center: 'I'm wondering if we should be there.
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we → release → Center
I'm not confident she knows what she is doing.'
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she → know → what
Ferguson replied that he had spoken with Wilson and asked her to call Jayapal directly.
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he → reply → Jayapal
Jayapal then wrote: 'They're waiting for both of us,' adding: 'I will be there in 15 minutes.'
The congresswoman released a statement Thursday morning to address the leaked exchange, saying that her experience responding to difficult moments has taught her 'to immediately brief the public quickly and transparently.'
'My text messages with the Governor reflect exactly this approach,' she said.
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she → write → approach
'My messages also reflected my serious concerns that no information had been shared with the public prior to this press conference.
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information → reflect → conference
I appreciate that Mayor Wilson herself has noted this lack of communication with the public was unacceptable, held regular briefings in the following days and undertaken an independent after-action review to ensure this never happens again.
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this → appreciate → review
Other messages between Ferguson and Wilson show the mayor told the governor at 7.41pm that the city was putting together a conference call and would 'most likely' hold a public conference later that night.
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city → show → conference
Ferguson answered he could be at Seattle Center as early as 9pm.
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he → answer → pm
But the conference was held much later.
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conference → hold → ?
Washington congresswoman Pramila Jayapal sent a text message to governor Bob Ferguson saying: 'I'm wondering if we should be there.
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we → send → Ferguson
I'm not confident she knows what she is doing'
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she → know → what
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis told the city council on Tuesday that he was ready to give a press conference at 7.30pm but was told to wait for Mayor Wilson
Wilson's office had previously blamed the police department for the information delay, even dismissing Chief Shon Barnes (left)
A separate batch of Seattle Police Department messages released earlier this month by the mayor's office showed internal indecision over who was leading the response efforts after the shooting.
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who → tell → shooting
Police said they were able to arrest one of the shooters within 30 seconds and soon secured the area, but the city remained gripped with fear for five hours as officials failed to release any information to the public until a press conference at 11pm.
Wilson's office had blamed the city's police department for the delay, even dismissing Chief Shon Barnes with a $700,000 taxpayer-funded severance package.
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office → say → package
But in an update to the Seattle City Council's public safety committee, Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis and Interim Chief Andre Sayles offered a starkly different account of the reason for the public information delay.
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Davis → offer → delay
Davis, who was the acting chief at the time of the shooting, told the council that he was ready to give a press conference at 7.30pm, about 90 minutes after shots first rang out.
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shots → act → 7.30pm
'We were ready to go,' Davis said, explaining that he had notified Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt of his intention to conduct a presser but was told not to speak with the media without Mayor Wilson present.
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he → go → Wilson
It would take another three-and-a-half hours before Wilson spoke to reporters while flanked by Governor Ferguson, Representative Jayapal and Davis.
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Wilson → take → Ferguson
'What I shared in the 20-minute press conference at 11.00pm would have been the same exact information I would have provided at 7.30 - nothing changed,' Davis told the city council.
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Davis → share → council
The gang-related shooting took place on July 26 around 6pm during the Bite of Seattle festival.
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shooting → relate → festival
Police said they arrested a suspect within 30 seconds and soon secured the area
Police have now said that despite their decisive actions securing the Seattle Center campus, Wilson's office caused the public to be uninformed for hours
'
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public → say → hours
That's how well run our officers were.
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officers → run → ?
'
The public was only informed that the shooting was likely gang-related and not a targeted attack, and that the Seattle Center campus was safe, during the severely delayed press conference.
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campus → inform → conference
'As I have stated, I was on briefing calls with the Mayor at 8.00pm and 9.00pm from my home on Sunday evening immediately following the shooting.
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I → state → shooting
On those calls, we were advised that elected officials should stay away from the active investigation scene at Seattle Center and that a public press conference would be happening the next morning.
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conference → advise → Center
I also believed from those calls that SPD was regularly briefing the public.
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SPD → believe → public
At 10.10pm on Sunday night, I was notified of a press conference at the Seattle Center and immediately proceeded there, arriving at approximately 10.40pm.
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I → notify → 10.40pm
I spoke to the Mayor on my way to the Seattle Center, and she told me they were awaiting our arrival.
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they → speak → arrival
Any delay in waiting for the Governor and I to arrive was about a matter of minutes, not hours,' Jayapal said.
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Jayapal → wait → minutes
The Daily Mail contacted Wilson's and Ferguson's office for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
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