Mina Hashemi Mercer, until recently the part-time campaign manager for King County Executive candidate Dow Constantine, just stepped down over a perceived potential conflict of interest with her work at Washington Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental group, where she worked part-time as a King County organizer. Initially, WCV told Mercer she could keep both positions, but the group’s leadership subsequently told her she would have to leave Constantine’s campaign if she wanted to keep her WCV position. Although the group did right by Mercer—offering her a full-time job—some have speculated that their change of heart came after Constantine’s opponent Larry Phillips complained to members of the WCV board, which makes endorsements in local races. However, as a low-level organizer, Mercer is not involved in the endorsement process.

Phillips acknowledges that he “met with some members of the [WCV] board … and they brought it up to me.” However, he says, “I didn’t not place a phone call” to any board members. He adds, however, “I don’t see how you can wear both hats”—that of a WCV employee and a staffer for Constantine.

WCV director Kurt Fritts says the group wanted to avoid “the perception of any conflict. … Obviously, this endorsement is going to be critically important in this race, and we wanted to make sure there wasn’t a perception out there that WCV had already made up its mind.” Mercer did not return a message seeking comment.

12 replies on “Constantine’s Campaign Manager Steps Down”

  3. Somebody’s going to be pissed that WCV made some layoffs earlier this year and then turned around and upgraded Mina’s job to full-time…

  5. So where are you going to do your community service? Maybe you should do it in Capitol Hill to make up for the numerous other bottles of wine you’ve no doubt stolen from my QFC.

  6. How about an update on you hearing instead of this?

    Let’s face it, you guys can delete posts for being off topic. However, until such time as you actually address the issues at hand, you’re pretty much a washed up joke.

    Your wages have been garnished, now you have shoplifting issues… At your age, this is not a one time time thing.. this just means you’ve been caught.

  8. Everybody it’s E C B, ONE TWO THREE (bottles of wine in her purse), E C B! C’MON LET’S HERE IT AGAIN!

    (childrens choir joins in)

    EEEEEE CCCCC BBBB

    OONNEE TWWWOOO THREEE (BOTTLES OF WINE IN HER PURSE!)

    EEEEEE CCCCC BBB!

    Woo!

  9. @4,5,6: Just for you, SLOG created a whole special thread for this discussion, a post at 11:40 a.m today, and there is a lively and spirited discussion going on there. No one wants to censor you, but do you think you could put future comments along these lines on that thread?

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