Police Investigate Former Seattle Council Candidate Over Voucher Fraud: Report

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle police are investigating allegations that former Seattle City Council candidate Sheley Secrest defrauded the new democracy voucher program, which went into effect for the first time in this year's City Council and City Attorney races. According to the Seattle Times, Secrest is accused of fabricating donations so she could qualify to receive funds from the voucher program.

Secrest denied the allegations, but five voters listed as contributors to Secrest's campaign all told the Times that they never gave Secrest any money. Secrest's former campaign manager, Patrick Burke, told the Times he witnessed Secrest withdraw cash with the intent of depositing it into her campaign.

Read the Seattle Times' full report here

Under the democracy voucher program, City Council candidates must collect 400 signatures and corresponding donations of between $10 and $250 to qualify for the program. Once a candidate qualifies, they can begin accepting democracy vouchers. The program is funded through a property tax, and each voter gets four $25 vouchers to give out.

According to what Burke told the Times, Secrest used $560 of her own money to make it appear that 56 voters had given her the requisite $10 minimum donations. It appears Secrest had gathered signatures, but not corresponding donations, according to the Times.

"That never, ever took place," Secrest told the Times about Burke's allegation that he saw Secrest withdraw $560 in cash.

Secrest, an attorney and chair of the Seattle NAACP Economic and Development Department, was seeking to advance past the primary in the Position 8 City Council race. Secrest got about 4.5 percent of the vote, and candidates Teresa Mosqueda and Jon Grant were the top two vote-getters in the race.

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