The Seattle City Attorney’s office today charged Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, with one count of assault stemming from an alleged incident of domestic violence at Seattle Children’s Hospital on May 22.
Simpson is accused of pushing his ex-wife as she tried to stop him from entering a hospital room where their young daughter was recovering from surgery.
Once he got inside the ex-wife said she tried to open the door and go in and he “pushed her out of the room and used the door to force her all the way out,” according to a Seattle police report.
A social worker told police she saw Simpson “barrel” into the room, push the former wife and shut the door.
He “closed the blinds and barricaded himself inside using his body” and was yelling inside, according to the report. Once he came out, he left the property, witnesses said.
Simpson denied wrongdoing and issued a statement today which you can read below. Friction between Simpson and his ex-wife is not new. In 2008, they had a confrontation that led Simpson’s arrest but he was not charged with any crime.
In an interview this afternoon, he said he’s not “had any contact at all with the Seattle Police Department even to ask my side of the story” for what occurred in May.
According to Simpson, he and his ex-wife have joint custody of their three children and May 22 was his day to spend time with them. He said when he called the hospital to speak with his daughter his ex-wife would not allow it so he decided to go there in person.
Once there, he said she grabbed his arm to keep him from entering the room. “As I was shutting the door, she was pressing back. I pushed the door shut, talked to my daughter for about 30 seconds, told her I loved her and left,” he said.
Simpson said he was unaware of the police involvement until a few weeks later when a King County sheriff’s deputy served him with a restraining order obtained by his ex-wife. The police report was part of the order.
Simpson is scheduled to appear in court July 26. The charge is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Statement of Rep. Geoff Simpson
If there were any truth in the accusations made against me, I would immediately resign my seat in the legislature. I believe strongly that there is no excuse for domestic violence and our system should always err on the side of protecting victims. Unfortunately, I also know that the system can be misused.
In, 2005, after considerable and very difficult contemplation, I decided to end my 22 year marriage. That decision began an extremely difficult cycle of false and outrageous allegations being made against me for various motives as the divorce settlement was mediated and since then as changes have been sought. All of the allegations raised against me in various venues over the past few years have been determined to be unfounded or dismissed time and again.
I sincerely apologize to my constituents and especially my children that these issues continue to raise their ugly head every two years during election season. It is hurtful to everyone involved and keeps my family from being able to move forward. I have proudly spent my life protecting the citizens of my community as a 20 year firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician and serving as a city council member and state representative because I care about our future.
I work very hard to represent our community with integrity even when it isn’t the easy the thing to do. The people of the 47th legislative district deserve someone who will stand for what is right even in the face of extreme odds.
I accept responsibility for my role in these difficult circumstances and will continue to do everything I can to ensure we can finally move on. I am confident that once these allegations are investigated they will be determined like all the others have to be untruthful and remain hopeful that these negative attacks will no longer be newsworthy and therefore will cease.
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