David Meinert, the co-owner of The Comet Tavern And Lost Lake, one of the creators of the* co-owner of the Capitol Hill Block Party from 2000 to 2010, and a fixture in Seattle’s music scene, was accused of sexual misconduct by five women Thursday. KUOW published allegations from five unnamed women including two women who say Meinert raped them.
The reporting by KUOW’s Sydney Brownstone, who was on staff at The Stranger until two months ago, details a 14-year pattern of Meinert allegedly acting inappropriately against women in Seattle.
Meinert, speaking at a public relations firm, denied the allegations but admitted to KUOW that he has mistreated women and had “crossed the line of respect” in the past.
Brownstone’s lengthy reporting lays out five different claims of misconduct between 2001 and 2015:
•In 2001, Meinert allegedly raped a woman, identified by KUOW as a local business owner, during a late-night party at the women’s apartment.
• In 2007, Meinert allegedly forcibly removed a tampon from a woman before forcing the woman, identified by KUOW as a 30-year-old employee of the city of Seattle at the time of the incident, to give him oral sex.
•In 2007, Meinert allegedly forced himself onto a 28-year-old in her apartment. She told KUOW she was able to force him out of her apartment.
•In 2013, Meinert allegedly ejaculated onto a 46-year-old college friend’s skirt after he had previously forced himself on her.
•In 2015, Meinert allegedly forcibly tried to kiss a woman when she was trying to get into her car after a night of eating and drinking with Meinert and a few other friends.
Meinert gives detailed denials in Brownstone’s story while also admitting that he has acted poorly. When asked about forcibly kissing women, he told KUOW that “Sometimes I kiss—you know, French kiss,” he told KUOW. “So that could have been. I don’t know.”
According to KUOW, Meinert has not been charged by police with any crimes of sexual misconduct. The women involved in the 2007 oral sex incident contacted police but charges were not filed because of “legally insufficient” evidence, according to KUOW. The women involved in the 2013 incident contacted police but the statute of limitations had passed, according to KUOW.
This is a developing story and we will update this post with more information as it is confirmed.
UPDATE: 3:10 p.m.
Meinert responded on Facebook to KUOW’s story, writing that the allegations against him had been deemed “insufficient and not credible” after an investigation by police. He said he had passed two polygraph tests during the investigation, although he did not provide a link to the test’s results nor have they been independently verified.
Meinert admitted in the post that he had engaged in non-consensual behavior in the past, writing that “I have been pushy and continued to make advances when I should have understood they were not welcome.”
The 52-year-old also writes that the #MeToo movement has inspired him to examine his “past relationships and have been reaching out to women with whom I have had relationships to apologize for those times when I acted inappropriately and to make amends if I can.”
Meinert’s full Facebook post is here. Meinert appears to have deleted his Facebook post.
*Jason LaJaeunese, one of Meinert’s business partners, contacted The Stranger Saturday and told us Meinert was not one of the creators of Capitol Block Party, as this 2010 Seattle Times story led us to believe, but rather Jen Gapay was the creator, as this 2011 Seattle Met article makes clear. LaJaeunese declined to answer any questions regarding the allegations against Meinert or his current business relationship with Meinert.
