SEATTLE - King County prosecutors announced they will not seek charges against former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, former Police Chief Carmen Best and Fire Chief Harold Scoggins for allegedly deleting text messages during the 2020 racial justice protests.
In a memorandum obtained by FOX 13 News, King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion wrote "there is no legal basis to file criminal charges in this case."
Texts from nine city officials, including the mayor, fire chief and police chief, were not retained from periods overlapping with June 2020, when police used tear gas and abandoned their East Precinct, and when the first of two fatal shootings occurred in a zone on Capitol Hill temporarily ceded to protesters.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Handling of Mayor Durkan’s missing texts brings $5M claims against Seattle
The office of then-Mayor Jenny Durkan knew by Aug. 2020 that her texts were missing and the city attorney’s office hired Crypsis in Nov. 2020. But the information didn’t become public until May 2021, when the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission issued a whistleblower investigation report.
