Tag Archives: mayor

US

Dr. Joseph Stothert, husband of Mayor Jean Stothert, found dead at family home

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Dr. Joseph Stothert, husband of Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, was found dead Friday afternoon in the family’s southwest Omaha home. Police were called to the home in the St. Andrews Pointe community at 1:54 p.m. for a shooting. That’s a gated community near Oak Hills Country Club in southwest Omaha.Police dispatchers told KETV NewsWatch 7 the shooting appeared to be self-inflicted.The Stothert family released the following statement: “It is with great sadness today that we share the tragic loss of Joe Stothert with family, friends and our loving community. Joe’s dedication and affection for everyone he cared for serve as a bright light of human kindness for all of us to follow. Our family asks for your prayers at this very difficult time. We will need them. We also ask for privacy so our family may grieve and remember an extraordinary and caring husband, father and grandfather.”Dr. Stothert was a critical care surgery specialist associated with the Nebraska Medical Center. He has been a practicing physician for more than 47 years.Stothert, 72, attended medical schools in St. Louis and Washington State. He married his wife in 1981, and the Stothert family moved to Omaha in 1992.Dr. Stothert served for 18 years as medical director for the Omaha Fire Department’s emergency medical service, stepping down from that role in 2013.U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement regarding Stothert’s death:“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mayor Stothert and her family during this very sad time.”The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers help at any time. Call 1-800-273-8255 to talk to a counselor. There is always someone available to listen.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

OMAHA, Neb. —

Dr. Joseph Stothert, husband of Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, was found dead Friday afternoon in the family’s southwest Omaha home.

Police were called to the home in the St. Andrews Pointe community at 1:54 p.m. for a shooting. That’s a gated community near Oak Hills Country Club in southwest Omaha.

Police dispatchers told KETV NewsWatch 7 the shooting appeared to be self-inflicted.

The Stothert family released the following statement:

“It is with great sadness today that we share the tragic loss of Joe Stothert with family, friends and our loving community. Joe’s dedication and affection for everyone he cared for serve as a bright light of human kindness for all of us to follow. Our family asks for your prayers at this very difficult time. We will need them. We also ask for privacy so our family may grieve and remember an extraordinary and caring husband, father and grandfather.”

Dr. Stothert was a critical care surgery specialist associated with the Nebraska Medical Center. He has been a practicing physician for more than 47 years.

Stothert, 72, attended medical schools in St. Louis and Washington State. He married his wife in 1981, and the Stothert family moved to Omaha in 1992.

Dr. Stothert served for 18 years as medical director for the Omaha Fire Department’s emergency medical service, stepping down from that role in 2013.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement regarding Stothert’s death:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mayor Stothert and her family during this very sad time.”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers help at any time. Call 1-800-273-8255 to talk to a counselor. There is always someone available to listen.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

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Business

White House and Detroit officials seek to limit fallout after mayor initially declines Johnson & Johnson vaccine

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“As I understand it, our team has been in touch with the mayor, there has been a bit of a misunderstanding,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki during Friday’s briefing, adding that she thought “he was going to go out and speak publicly.”

Earlier this week, Duggan, a Democrat and an early supporter of President Joe Biden, declined an initial allocation of 6,200 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told CNN.

“So, Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure the residents of the City of Detroit get the best,” Duggan said during a news conference Thursday.

The one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is highly effective against severe disease and in a clinical trial, there were no deaths among people who had the vaccine. Trials of the previously authorized two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed higher efficacy rates, but took place in different places and earlier in the pandemic, when fewer coronavirus variants were spreading.

Biden administration officials have been concerned the J&J vaccine would be perceived to be lower quality than the other vaccines, and US health officials have stressed repeatedly that people should take whichever vaccine is available if they’re eligible.

But during a Friday briefing, the White House claimed Duggan did not intend to say that Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are better than Johnson & Johnson’s.

“It’s important to clarify that that was not the mayor’s intent, and that was not the mayor’s comments,” White House senior adviser on Covid-19 Andy Slavitt said in response to a question from CNN’s Arlette Saenz.

Slavitt claimed that Duggan is “very eager for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” and reiterated the White House position that Americans should take the first vaccine they have the opportunity to take.

Pressed again about Duggan’s remarks, Slavitt said: “The mayor’s office has indicated, after we talked to them, that there was a misunderstanding, that was not the intent of those remarks.”

Duggan issued a statement of his own Friday, expressing “full confidence” in the vaccine and announcing that his city will be opening a vaccination site offering Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

“I have full confidence that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is both safe and effective. We are making plans now for Johnson & Johnson to be a key part of our expansion of vaccine centers and are looking forward to receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the next allocation,” Duggan said in the statement.

Earlier on Friday, John Roach, Duggan’s director of media relations, told CNN that when vaccine eligibility in Detroit expands to the point where demand at the city’s drive-thru max vaccination site exceeds the Moderna/Pfizer supply, the city will open a second site that will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Detroiters currently eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine “can call today, make an appointment, and will receive a Moderna/Pfizer vaccine next week at the TCF center,” Roach said.

Duggan visited the White House last month and was a guest at the daily briefing to discuss his city’s recovery.

CNN’s Ganesh Setty contributed to this report.

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Health

Detroit vaccines: Mayor declines Johnson & Johnson allotment, saying the other vaccines are better

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Duggan, a Democrat who has been mayor since 2014, said he turned down the shipment because the city is able to meet current demand with its supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines — even as his administration expanded vaccine eligibility Thursday to residents ages 50 and older with chronic medical conditions.

“So, Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure the residents of the City of Detroit get the best,” Duggan said during a news conference Thursday.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday authorized the one-dose J&J vaccine, which was found to be 72% effective in the US against moderate to severe/critical Covid-19 cases. Clinical trials showed the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were about 95% effective.

All three vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness from Covid-19, and health officials have urged people to take any Covid-19 vaccine they are offered.

“The day may come in March or April when every single Moderna and Pfizer is committed, and we still have people who need a vaccine. And at that point we will set up a Johnson & Johnson center. I don’t see that in the next couple of weeks,” Duggan said.

Detroit received 29,000 total vaccine doses manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna this week, the mayor said. He said he expects roughly the same amount next week, and repeatedly said there is enough supply to meet current demand. He urged all qualified residents to make appointments.

Detroit’s mass vaccination drive-thru site at the TCF Center is able to “max-out” at 5,000 cars per weekday, Duggan explained, adding that health officials will administer the remaining 4,000 doses between “Senior Saturday” vaccination events and health department outreach this week.

Detroit received 6,200 doses of the J&J vaccine, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Johnson and Johnson doses not used by Detroit were provided to other health departments that had lower coverage rates for those age 65 years or older,” spokesman Bob Wheaton said in a statement to CNN.

The J&J vaccine doses “were allocated on top of the Moderna and Pfizer distribution,” Wheaton said, adding that Detroit did not receive additional Moderna or Pfizer supply to replace the 6,200 forgone J&J doses.

“All immunizing providers who can manage vaccine storage and management for a vaccine are expected to accept vaccine,” he said.

Detroit providers have administered 101,636 total Covid-19 vaccine doses, with 55,121 future doses already scheduled, according to the city’s Covid-19 dashboard.

A spokesman for Duggan did not immediately respond to CNN’s followup questions on whether the city will accept the J&J vaccine moving forward.

CNN has also reached out to the Biden administration for comment.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday said the state is easing some coronavirus-related restrictions, including restaurant capacities. She cited lower cases counts and the increased availability of vaccines.

She also noted the J&J vaccine is manufactured in the state, in Grand Rapids.

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US

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s sister dies from Covid as city passes 1,000 deaths

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The statement came as the mayor declared Wednesday a day of remembrance for the more than 500,000 Americans and 1,000 D.C. residents who had died from the disease. The city announced that it had passed 1,000 deaths on Wednesday.

Bowser ordered flags to fly at half-staff and encouraged houses of worship to honor those who died in the pandemic on Wednesday evening.

“These beautiful souls who passed were grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, friends and loved ones,” Bowser said in a statement announcing the day of remembrance. “This tragic milestone is a reminder that this pandemic has forever changed families and communities.”

Muriel Bowser’s fellow DMV leaders expressed their sympathies to the family Wednesday afternoon.

“The First Lady and I extend our heartfelt condolences to Mayor @MurielBowser and her entire family as they mourn the passing of her sister Mercia,” tweeted Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

“Pam and I send our condolences to Mayor Bowser as she mourns the passing of her beloved sister. I pray that the Bowser family, and all those who have suffered a loss during this pandemic, find comfort and strength in the memories of their loved ones,” tweeted Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.

Mercia Bowser had previously worked for Catholic Charities and the D.C. Office on Aging, focusing her work on children, the elderly and those with behavioral disorders, the mayor said in her statement.



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World

Dem mayor who traveled during holidays, told others not to due to COVID-19, sees ethics complaint dismissed

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An ethics complaint against Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who flew to Texas over the Thanksgiving holiday even after telling his constituents to limit travel, was dismissed by the state’s Board of Ethics on Wednesday. 

Board Chairman Joseph Michaels acknowledged that Hancock’s actions angered city residents, who viewed it as hypocritical, but said they did not violate the city’s code of ethics, The Denver Post reported.

TED CRUZ FLEW TO CANCUN WITH FAMILY AMID TEXAS POWER CRISIS

“This board certainly does not condone that travel,” he said. 

A representative of the board told Fox News that they receive numerous complaints about elected officials to scrutinize their behavior but “unless an actionable section of the code is implicated, the board, as a body, cannot act or really render an opinion (or statement) with respect to that conduct.” 

Hancock flew to Texas over the holiday, rented a car and drove to Mississippi to be with his family while sharing messages on social media asking residents to avoid travel.

Minutes before his flight, he released a tweet warning people to “Pass the potatoes, not COVID,” and advised them to “Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners” and “Avoid travel, if you can.”

Hancock apologized for the trip after backlash from public health officials, residents and politicians.

Tonia Wilson, a member of Safe and Sound Denver, a group that condemned Hancock for his travels and hypocrisy, filed a complaint against him on Nov. 28, saying that he disregarded the city’s code of ethics. She also accused him of using his personal security detail and transportation – paid for with tax dollars — for private gain.

AUSTIN MAYOR SAYS FLYING TO CABO IN PRIVATE JET WHILE TELLING COMMUNITY TO STAY HOME WAS ‘LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT’

“I regret my decision to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a mistake for which I have taken responsibility and apologized to the people of Denver, and while it has been alleged that my conduct somehow violated Denver’s ethics code, the complaint seems to rely on incorrect facts and/or assumptions,” Hancock said in a written response as requested by the ethics board in January.

Michaels on Wednesday said Hancock did not use city resources to purchase the ticket for the flight.

“As the board has mentioned with respect to other complaints, the board is troubled by the allegations and expects all public employees, officers and elected officials to live up to the highest standard of ethical behavior,” he said during the hearing.   

Spokespersons for Hancock and Wilson did not respond to Fox News’ requests for comments. 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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World

Protesters cause damage to Sacramento Mayor Steinberg’s home

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Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is assessing the damage outside his home after a few dozen protestors staged a demonstration Saturday night that got to a level the likes of which he’s never seen in his front yard.Mary Lynne Vellinga, the mayor’s communications director, explained that Steinberg’s home has seen its share of demonstrations outside, but until Saturday, his home had never seen property damage.”The idea that people would come terrorize his street, intimidate his family, damage his home is beyond the pale and he was quite upset about it,” Vellinga said.Along with breaking lights, dinging up siding, busting a yard sculpture and writing inflammatory words in chalk on his front walkway, the demonstrators, according to Vellinga, shouted and chanted threatening phrases toward the mayor and other city leaders over a loudspeaker during the protest.The Sacramento Police Department told KCRA 3 there have been no arrests in connection to the damage at the mayor’s home, but that it is still investigating the incident to which 80 officers and the department’s helicopter were assigned to monitor.It’s not immediately clear if any one group has or will claim responsibility for the demonstration or vandalism caused to Stenberg’s home during the course of the protest.”They were using the homeless issue, certainly, saying, ‘no more homeless deaths,’ ‘recall Steinberg,’ ‘f-word Steinberg,'” Vellinga said. “Whether they were actually homeless advocates…? If they were homeless advocates, they’d be helping the homeless.”The mayor and other local officials have received harsh criticism in recent weeks over the handling of Sacramento’s unhoused population, not only during the pandemic, but also during bouts of severe winter weather.Steinberg’s critics say he should have done more to facilitate the opening of warming centers the night of the Jan. 26 storm. Under Sacramento County’s severe weather guidance, temperatures must reach 32 degrees or lower to activate warming centers. The City of Sacramento also followed that guideline when the overnight low was 41 degrees. After the storm, Sacramento’s City Council issued an emergency declaration, committing to opening more shelters for the homeless.The storm and the lack of shelter from it, homeless advocates said, led to the deaths of six unhoused people — a statistic that has not yet been confirmed by county health officials.Bob Erlenbusch, the founder of the larger homeless advocacy group Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, told KCRA 3 he did not blame Steinberg for not opening a warming center. Instead, he faulted the city manager, Howard Chan, and said he would push for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to open warming centers for all of winter.KCRA 3 contacted the Sacramento Homeless Union for its reaction to the protest at Steinberg’s home, in light of its demand last week that Steinberg resign or face a recall effort for what the group said he hasn’t accomplished for the homeless.In a statement, the group’s president Crystal Sanchez said, in part:”The Sacramento Homeless Union and the California Homeless Union did not participate as organizations in the recent protests at Mayor Steinberg’s house …”The group explained that it’s still gathering information about the incident and went on to say in its statement:”… while we don’t condone acts of ‘vandalism’ by the unheard, neither will we condemn it. Not as long as property rights are protected but human rights are ignored.”Steinberg, according to his staff, welcomes debate and has, in the past, been moved by demonstrations outside his home. Saturday’s demonstration, they said, went too far.”This is a whole different thing, and not OK, and it’s not peaceful protest,” Vellinga said. “It’s terrorism is what it is, trying to intimidate others. And to what end, I’m honestly not sure.”Correction (Feb. 8, 2021, 8:36 a.m.): An earlier version of the article contained an editing error about the number of possible deaths from the January storm that has been fixed.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is assessing the damage outside his home after a few dozen protestors staged a demonstration Saturday night that got to a level the likes of which he’s never seen in his front yard.

Mary Lynne Vellinga, the mayor’s communications director, explained that Steinberg’s home has seen its share of demonstrations outside, but until Saturday, his home had never seen property damage.

“The idea that people would come terrorize his street, intimidate his family, damage his home is beyond the pale and he was quite upset about it,” Vellinga said.

Along with breaking lights, dinging up siding, busting a yard sculpture and writing inflammatory words in chalk on his front walkway, the demonstrators, according to Vellinga, shouted and chanted threatening phrases toward the mayor and other city leaders over a loudspeaker during the protest.

The Sacramento Police Department told KCRA 3 there have been no arrests in connection to the damage at the mayor’s home, but that it is still investigating the incident to which 80 officers and the department’s helicopter were assigned to monitor.

It’s not immediately clear if any one group has or will claim responsibility for the demonstration or vandalism caused to Stenberg’s home during the course of the protest.

“They were using the homeless issue, certainly, saying, ‘no more homeless deaths,’ ‘recall Steinberg,’ ‘f-word Steinberg,'” Vellinga said. “Whether they were actually homeless advocates…? If they were homeless advocates, they’d be helping the homeless.”

The mayor and other local officials have received harsh criticism in recent weeks over the handling of Sacramento’s unhoused population, not only during the pandemic, but also during bouts of severe winter weather.

Steinberg’s critics say he should have done more to facilitate the opening of warming centers the night of the Jan. 26 storm.

Under Sacramento County’s severe weather guidance, temperatures must reach 32 degrees or lower to activate warming centers. The City of Sacramento also followed that guideline when the overnight low was 41 degrees. After the storm, Sacramento’s City Council issued an emergency declaration, committing to opening more shelters for the homeless.

The storm and the lack of shelter from it, homeless advocates said, led to the deaths of six unhoused people — a statistic that has not yet been confirmed by county health officials.

Bob Erlenbusch, the founder of the larger homeless advocacy group Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, told KCRA 3 he did not blame Steinberg for not opening a warming center. Instead, he faulted the city manager, Howard Chan, and said he would push for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to open warming centers for all of winter.

KCRA 3 contacted the Sacramento Homeless Union for its reaction to the protest at Steinberg’s home, in light of its demand last week that Steinberg resign or face a recall effort for what the group said he hasn’t accomplished for the homeless.

In a statement, the group’s president Crystal Sanchez said, in part:

“The Sacramento Homeless Union and the California Homeless Union did not participate as organizations in the recent protests at Mayor Steinberg’s house …”

The group explained that it’s still gathering information about the incident and went on to say in its statement:

“… while we don’t condone acts of ‘vandalism’ by the unheard, neither will we condemn it. Not as long as property rights are protected but human rights are ignored.”

Steinberg, according to his staff, welcomes debate and has, in the past, been moved by demonstrations outside his home. Saturday’s demonstration, they said, went too far.

“This is a whole different thing, and not OK, and it’s not peaceful protest,” Vellinga said. “It’s terrorism is what it is, trying to intimidate others. And to what end, I’m honestly not sure.”

Correction (Feb. 8, 2021, 8:36 a.m.): An earlier version of the article contained an editing error about the number of possible deaths from the January storm that has been fixed.

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Business

Miami mayor says Elon Musk will tunnel under the city for just $30 million

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Elon Musk told Miami’s mayor Friday that The Boring Company could dig a two-mile tunnel under the city for as little as $30 million — a fraction of the $1 billion price tag once quoted by local transit officials. Musk also told the Mayor that The Boring Company could complete the job in six months, versus the original four year estimate.

Mayor Francis Suarez shared these details about his “wonderful call” with Musk in a video posted to Twitter. “He’s focused on trying to deliver a project that will have the maximum utility for our residents for the least amount of money,” Suarez said. “The order of magnitude in terms of savings is significant.”

Musk first tweeted about wanting to tunnel under Miami on January 18th. “Cars & trucks stuck in traffic generate megatons of toxic gases & particulate, but @boringcompany road tunnels under Miami would solve traffic & be an example to the world,” he wrote. Musk said in the tweet that he had already spoken to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis about the idea. “If Governor & Mayor want this done, we will do it.”

Suarez said Friday that he will speak to DeSantis and the mayor of Miami-Dade county. “I think we have a unique opportunity to create a signature project not just for Miami, but for the world,” he said.

Tunneling under Miami is not easy because the city is built on limestone, which is spongey. That hurdle is one reason for the sky-high price tag quoted in 2018. It also helped drive up the price of a tunnel under the Port of Miami, which was less than a mile but still cost around $700 million.

The Miami Herald reported Friday that the limestone bedrock and the impact of rising sea levels were among the talking points for the call, though it’s unclear to what extent these items were discussed. Musk has previously talked about digging tunnels as deep underground as skyscrapers are tall.

Musk started The Boring Company in 2016, and has started a handful of projects around the country in the years since. The purpose and scope of the tunnels has changed a bit over that time. These days, the company is trying to make a transportation service that uses Teslas traveling through the tunnels. The first commercial service is nearing completion underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, though The Boring Company recently announced a massive city-wide expansion that would service the Strip and the airport. The company is also in negotiations for a tunnel in San Bernardino County, California.

Other attempts have not gone so well, like a failed project in Chicago and a canceled tunnel in West Los Angeles.



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US

Rochester mayor offers police reform proposals after a 9-year-old girl is handcuffed and pepper-sprayed

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“At the heart of it, we need to place the sanctity of human life at the core of RPD’s [Rochester Police Department] policing philosophy,” said Mayor Lovely Warren said during a virtual press conference.

Warren did not specifically mention the January 29 incident involving the 9-year-old girl, but said it needs to be made clear that officers should not handcuff “juveniles 12 and under unless they present an imminent danger to themselves or others.”

“The current draft doesn’t specify imminent, however, my recommendation would be to change that,” Warren said.

Two body camera videos released by Rochester police show officers restraining the child, putting her in handcuffs and attempting to get her inside the back of a police vehicle as she repeatedly cried and called for her father.

After the girl failed to follow commands to put her feet inside the car, the officers are seen pepper-spraying her. The girl was transported to a local hospital where she was later released, according to Rochester police.

The officers involved have been suspended pending the results of an internal police investigation, the city announced Monday.

Changing the police department culture

On Thursday. Warren broke down the recommendations into 10 categories: accountability, community engagement and programming, data, technology and transparency, fostering a community-oriented culture, officer wellness, police policy, strategies and practices, recruitment, resizing the police department, response to mental health calls and training.

One of Warren’s most important recommendations is for the federal court to update the city’s consent decree, which caps minority representation in the police department to 25%. The consent decree was put into place in the late 1970s, when the city’s community of color only made up a quarter of the population, Warren said.

“Now, as we said earlier, people of color represent well over 50% of the city of Rochester’s population so our consent decree should reflect that,” said Warren, adding that 87% of the city’s officers are White while only 47% of its population is White.

The mayor said she also supports replacing police with social workers to respond to mental health crisis calls, a suggestion made following the death of Daniel Prude last March. In that incident, Rochester police pinned Prude to the ground and placed a hood over his head as he experienced a mental health episode. Prude stopped breathing and died a week later.
Warren ultimately fired the Rochester police chief over Prude’s death and the subsequent delay by police and city officials to release body camera footage.

Warren also offered additional recommendations for police reform, such as petitioning the state to allow Rochester to terminate RPD personnel immediately for malpractices, ban discriminatory enforcement patterns like racial profiling, reduce the size of the department in the next 5-10 years and allocate the resources to other programs and create a civilian public safety interview panel to assess candidates for the RPD.

Warren emphasized that this was a first draft of the recommendations, which will now be looked at by members of the City Council and other community leaders for feedback. The council will vote on the measures at the end of March.

CNN’s Laura Ly, Eric Levenson and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.

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US

Residents of Washington town wonder if QAnon has taken hold of their mayor

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“Why do you publicly support QAnon,” two callers asked this week during the mayor’s monthly “Coffee with the Mayor” community access radio broadcast.

“What does the Punisher symbol mean to you?” asked another caller, referring to the comic book antihero icon that has been adopted by QAnon followers. “Are you concerned that the publicity received as a result of your stance on QAnon will hurt our reputation?”

Mayor William Armacost answered each question on his radio program calmly, patiently and with scant apology about his growing internet attention as a mayor who called the conspiracy theory a “truth movement.”

“I have never publicly stated I support it,” Armacost said, referring to QAnon. “I’m an information seeker. I should have kept my personal feelings to myself. I’m here to talk about our beautiful little town of Sequim.”

But a sizable number Sequim residents have organized a petition to reinstate the city manager, who resigned earlier this month. They call the mayor a dangerous threat after a number of suspected QAnon followers were arrested for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 US Capitol insurrection.

“The people that led the Capitol insurrection were Q leaders,” said Shenna Younger, a Sequim resident leading Sequim Good Governance League, a grassroots movement that hopes to unseat the mayor. “This isn’t just a conspiracy theory. This is serious.”

‘QAnon is a truth movement’

Sequim’s city council centers around a salaried city manager that serves as chief executive. That means Armacost doesn’t have the power allotted to most US mayors.

Most Sequim residents barely paid attention to Armacost until last August, when he broadcast a stunning statement during “Coffee with the Mayor.”

Asked about QAnon, the mayor replied, “QAnon is a truth movement that encourages you to think for yourself. If you remove Q from that equation, it’s patriots from all over the world fighting for humanity, truth, freedom and saving children and others from human trafficking.”

Armacost then encouraged his listeners to watch a QAnon video filled with the conspiracy theories about a cabal of Satan-worshiping, child sex-trafficking group formed as part of a “deep state” seeking to annihilate Donald Trump.

The video echoes the unfounded claims promoted by QAnon. Since its origin, QAnon moved from the darkest corners of the internet as a single conspiracy theory to baseless theories about elections, global financial systems and human trafficking.

Shortly after Armacost’s comments about QAnon, the city manager, Charlie Bush, issued a press release with Armacost. Bush highlighted that the “Coffee with the Mayor” forum is designed to discuss issues specific to Sequim. And he noted how irregular the national comments were for the mayor. In that same release, the mayor called his decision to respond to a QAnon question “inappropriate.”

Earlier this month, the city council approved Bush’s sudden resignation after a surprise motion from Armacost. The resignation of the popular city manager alarmed Sequin residents who believe the public clash over QAnon led to Bush’s departure.

Bush told CNN he would not comment on his departure.

On Thursday’s “Coffee with the Mayor” broadcast, residents like Karen Hogan called in to demand an explanation.

“We have philosophical differences between the city council and the city manager,” Armacost said.

“What are those differences?” Hogan fired back on the call.

“I’m not at the liberty of revealing those,” Armacost said. “We have great differences, and we will leave it at that.”

Two callers into the mayor’s broadcast then asked, “Why do you publicly support QAnon?”

“I have never publicly stated I support it,” Armacost said. “I’m an information seeker and I should have kept my personal feelings to myself.”

Residents who formed the Sequim Good Governance League dispute the mayor’s defense.

Armacost’s opponents point to the mayor’s personal Facebook page, where Armacost has shared multiple posts of disinformation and the phrase “WWG1WGA,” a rallying cry that QAnon supporters have adopted, meaning, “Where we go one, we go all.”

They also say the mayor has been wearing a lapel pin at the virtual city council meetings this year. The pin, plainly visible on the recorded city council meetings, is a skull matching the Punisher symbol favored by QAnon believers. The mayor says the pin is in support of law enforcement.

Younger says 500 people have joined the Sequim Good Governance League in just two weeks. They fear that the departure of the city manager signals the mayor may further influence the town.

“People are awake now,” Younger said. “They want to participate, and they want to be involved.”

Rick Perdue, who recently moved to Sequim from the East Coast, said he was shocked to hear about the mayor of his new town, which he described as moderate and welcoming.

“I didn’t think we’d have this kind of a nutcase here. He should represent the values of the community, not his crazy right wing QAnon conspiracy stuff,” Perdue said.

Perdue points out that Sequim is in Clallam County, a bellwether county that has picked the winning President in every election since 1980. The county, says Perdue, represents the political sentiment of the country, which is why he is alarmed by the mayor’s words.

“There’s a lot of people that believe this,” Perdue said. “Look at the stuff that’s going on in Congress now. We’re certainly not unique in having high level people that follow the QAnon conspiracy theory information.”

‘I even read the fake news’

On Thursday, CNN approached Armacost outside the radio station following his program. For 15 minutes, the mayor calmly and politely answered questions.

When quoted back what he previously said on his radio program, calling the conspiracy theory a “truth movement,” Armacost said, “What I call is the opportunity as a patriot and as an American citizen to seek truth. That comes through analysis and research. People need to make up their own mind to make up their own homework.”

The mayor said he regretted telling residents to view the QAnon video, but he didn’t acknowledge the video’s outlandish content. Without prompting, the mayor then diverted the conversation to human trafficking. One of the promoted QAnon conspiracy theories is that the members of “deep state” engage in trafficking.

“I think if you take the time to do the research, there are many parallels that you may read that have been historically in the books of things that have happened,” Armacost said. “The human trafficking is one of them. We’ve had a great opportunity to seek more people that are in peril and rescue them and try to recover a normal life.”

When asked whether he’s a QAnon follower, the mayor said, “I entertain all resources. I even read the fake news, to even see if there’s a fabric, a thread of fabric that contains truth.”

Armacost says he could never support defacing a building like the US Capitol or attempting to harm or disrupt a public official. But he questioned whether QAnon beliefs fueled some of the Capitol insurrectionists, despite video showing Jan 6 rioters wearing Q shirts and carrying Q signs as they breached the Capitol.

“I’ve watched a lot of videos of what appears to be scenarios versus what has continued to run. I have no way to confirm that that was one group versus another,” Armacost said. “Just because the angle of the camera showed this view, it may not have shown another angle that shows a totally different scenario. I’m not denouncing it, but I’m not committing that this frame that I saw on a clip is the truth versus they didn’t show all the information.”

Ultimately, the mayor says what he believes privately carries no impact on his non-partisan job as mayor of Sequim.

On whether he would denounce QAnon as concerned Sequim residents have asked him to do, the mayor said, “I’m not supporting it. I’m not in a position…I’m one small man that runs a small business in a small little town. I don’t have the authority to denounce or promote either.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Sequim residents have organized a petition to oust Mayor William Armacost. They have organized a petition to reinstate the city manager.

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