Nick Brown’s first big headline as Attorney General? Dodging the Bar Association while protecting his buddies at Perkins Coie.

Bob Ferguson’s Successor Already Drowning in Ethics Trouble

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is under fire after nearly getting slapped with an interim suspensionof his law license for blowing off the State Bar Association’s demand that he respond to an ethics complaint. What was the complaint about? Oh, nothing big—just Brown’s office secretly cozying up to Democratic mega-firm Perkins Coie, filing an amicus brief in their defense without disclosing that his own office had multiple active contracts with the firm.

The Bar gave Brown a month to respond. He ignored it. They gave him another deadline and warned him of suspension, subpoenas, and fines. He ignored that too. Magically, a “preliminary response” appeared only after The Center Square started asking questions. Suddenly, Solicitor General Noah Purcell (a proud Perkins Coie alum who once bragged about it in emails) jumped in to insist the complaint was “baseless.”

But here’s the problem: emails show the Attorney General’s Office wasn’t just filing a friendly brief—it was actively colluding with Perkins Coie, offering strategy advice on their lawsuit while hiding the firm’s 10 active contracts with the state. When watchdogs asked for the AGO’s internal communications, Brown’s office redacted them under “anticipated litigation” exemptions, effectively stonewalling the public.

This is the same Nick Brown who campaigned as a reformer after being a U.S. Attorney. Instead, he’s acting like Bob Ferguson 2.0: protecting Democratic insiders, bending rules for political allies, and dodging accountability until the press drags him out into the light. For a guy in charge of upholding Washington’s laws, Brown seems awfully comfortable skirting them. Read more at Center Square.

Washington’s Sanctuary Standoff

The Trump administration drew a line in the sand: comply with federal immigration enforcement or face the consequences. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to Gov. Bob Ferguson and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell demanding that Washington and Seattle abandon their sanctuary policies by Aug. 19. Instead of even pretending to take the law seriously, both Democrats immediately puffed up their chests and declared they had no intention of changing course.

Seattle’s “don’t ask” policy shielding illegal immigrants has been around since 2003, and the state’s Keep Washington Working Act further ties the hands of law enforcement, blocking cooperation with federal authorities. In short, the Democrats running Olympia and City Hall have built a fortress around lawbreakers and are daring the federal government to do something about it.

Harrell brushed off Bondi’s letter as just another “narrative,” while Ferguson paraded it on social media like a badge of honor, smugly declaring that Washington would not compromise its “values.” Of course, those “values” don’t include upholding federal law or prioritizing public safety—they’re about signaling virtue and defying anything with Trump’s name attached to it.

In the end, Ferguson and Harrell made one thing perfectly clear: when forced to choose between protecting their citizens or protecting illegal immigrants, they’ll side with the latter every time. Read more at Center Square.

Crime on the Menu in Seattle

In the latest episode of Seattle’s soft-on-crime circus, four masked robbers stormed Menashe & Sons Jewelers in West Seattle last Thursday, smashing display cases and swiping $2 million worth of diamonds, watches, and gold in under 90 seconds. They even blocked in Police Chief Shon Barnes’ official SUV during their getaway. And where was Seattle’s top cop? Just yards away, eating lunch.

According to SPD, Barnes and his plainclothes security detail were inside a nearby business “unaware” that one of the city’s most iconic jewelers was being pillaged in broad daylight. They only realized something was wrong when sirens blared and patrol cars raced to the scene—by then, the thieves were long gone.

The optics are brutal: the mayor’s handpicked chief, flanked by bodyguards, was oblivious to a major heist unfolding practically under his nose. It’s the perfect symbol of Seattle leadership—too distracted, too comfortable, and too slow to respond while crime spirals out of control.

Mayor Bruce Harrell, still reeling from a primary drubbing, insists Seattle doesn’t have a crime problem. Yet this heist happened not just in broad daylight, but within arm’s reach of his own police chief. If that doesn’t scream “crisis,” nothing will. Read more at Seattle Red.

Seattle’s Low-Turnout Left Turn

The numbers are in: barely a third of King County voters bothered to turn in a ballot for the August primary. That means two-thirds of the county sat it out, letting a small, motivated slice of the electorate decide the future of Seattle. And unsurprisingly, that slice leans hard left.

First-time candidate Katie Wilson, who proudly embraces progressive policies, snagged over 50% of the vote in the mayor’s race. Council President Sara Nelson trails badly, and City Attorney Ann Davison is in deep trouble. But let’s do the real math: with turnout under 34%, Wilson’s “majority” is really only about 17% of the voting pool. Seventeen percent is enough to dominate when the rest of the county can’t be bothered to check a few bubbles.

This isn’t about an overwhelming mandate—it’s about apathy handing the keys to the far-left. Liberals showed up. Moderates, independents, and conservatives didn’t. Instead, they were on vacation, scrolling social media, or just shrugging at politics while activists filled out their ballots.

Seattle’s left-wing voters know exactly what they want: more progressive leadership that doubles down on failed policies. And unless the middle and right wake up, the November election won’t be shocking because of who wins—it’ll be shocking because of how few people actually decided it.

Elections aren’t won on Facebook rants. They’re won on ballots. And right now, the people most eager to push Seattle further left are the only ones taking that seriously. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Donate Today

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment. If you’d rather mail a check, you can send it to: Shift WA | PO Box 956 | Cle Elum, WA 98922

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].