From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement
Story does not make a lot of sense, digging,,,
Well, first off I read this
Tarra Denelle Simmons is an American politician, lawyer, former
registered nurse, formerly incarcerated individual, and civil rights
activist for criminal justice reform. Simmons is notable for being the
first legislator in Washington state to have felony convictions.
23rd Wa legislative District - all Democrat
from
https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/wa-lawmaker-nirvana/4277400
rCyThe moneyrCOs gonerCO: NirvanarCOs Novoselic says a WA lawmaker steered $500K
to her own employer and Olympia shrugged
Sep 18, 2026, 9:28 AM
4
BY JOHN CURLEY SHOW
Weekdays on KIRO Newsradio 3pm - 7pm
Krist Novoselic, the Nirvana co-founder who now chairs the Cascade Party
of Washington, said his centrist third party is stepping into a role
neither Democrats nor Republicans will fill in Olympia: the opposition.
Novoselic joined rCLThe John Curley ShowrCY on KIRO Newsradio to discuss the partyrCOs original reporting on a high-profile legislative ethics case,
its endorsements in five contested Washington Supreme Court races, and
why he believes both major parties have abandoned the political middle.
rCLWe need an effective opposition party in Washington State,rCY Novoselic said.
Novoselic says the Cascade Party covered the case because no one else
would step up
A Washington state lawmaker wrote a bill that funneled $500,000 to a
nonprofit that paid her $120,000 a year, intervened when that money was
at risk, and tried to silence the whistleblower who reported it. The
project the money was supposed to fund is now sitting in storage, and
neither party in Olympia has moved to strip her of her leadership post.
The Legislative Ethics Board ruled Aug. 14 that Simmons committed three violations of the Ethics in Public Service Act, levying the maximum
$5,000 penalty for each. A final order dated Aug. 28 added $37,458 in
state legal costs, bringing the total to roughly $52,000. Simmons has
said she plans to appeal.
Novoselic said the Cascade Party sent reporter Megan Blackburn Friend to
both days of the June hearing and published its findings on the partyrCOs blog, The Summit. He described the reporting as a test case for the
partyrCOs role as an independent check on Olympia.
rCLSo she funds this, and the legislature passes it, the contracts were signed, the money goes out,rCY Novoselic said. rCLAnd then the Equity
Justice group, time goes by, and theyrCOre like, rCyWerCOre not getting any performance here from our subcontractor.rCO And about seven months go by,
and theyrCOre getting ghosted.rCY
Novoselic said the nonprofitrCOs executive director told state officials
the money could not be returned.
rCLThe executive director of the Equity Education Group comes to the
meeting and says, rCyWell, I sure hope you donrCOt expect us to pay the $500,000 back because thererCOs a problem. Problem is the moneyrCOs gone,'rCY Novoselic said.
KIRO host John Curley asked why either major party would let a case like
this pass without a public response. Novoselic said the silence itself
is the evidence.
rCLPerhaps we are seeing the emergence of Cascade Party as the
opposition,rCY Novoselic said.
Simmons remains in House leadership and is seeking a fourth term
Despite the ruling, Simmons has not been removed from her leadership
role and is running for reelection in the 23rd Legislative District. Democratic leadership, Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick
Brown, have not publicly commented on the ethics boardrCOs findings.
Simmons said in a statement after the August ruling that the fine was rCLunfair and excessive,rCY adding: rCLPeople shouldnrCOt be excessively punished when they actually prevail.rCY
Novoselic said the lack of consequences is why Washington needs a third option, and the Democratic Party no longer represents the working-class
values that once drew him in.
rCLI donrCOt recognize Democrats anymore. TheyrCOve just gone so far left, this DSA stuff,rCY Novoselic said. rCLThatrCOs not the Democratic Party that I grew up with. I came out of the working class.rCY
He said the Cascade Party is not a Republican offshoot, either.
rCLWerCOre not Republicans. WerCOre not like Republican lite,rCY Novoselic said.
Novoselic described the party as pro-choice and supportive of LGBTQ
rights, with a belief in a social safety net rCo but said Washington
Democrats have failed to deliver on the basics.
rCLI believe there should be a social safety net, and that people
shouldnrCOt be hungry or suffering on the streets, and we should treat
drug addiction, and werCOre just not getting that from Washington State Democrats,rCY Novoselic said.
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Novoselic calls modern politics rCyconformistrCO on both sides
Novoselic compared todayrCOs political landscape to the mainstream culture Nirvana once rebelled against, saying both major parties run on
rCLconformist narrativesrCY rather than substance.
rCLIf you look at politics now, itrCOs just a bunch of conformity,rCY Novoselic said. rCLI go to the closet, I find this socialist shirt. IrCOm an upper-middle-class kid. I put on my socialist shirt. Like, IrCOm a
socialist, okay? And then the other side is just like this MAGA crankery stuff, and those are really conformist narratives.rCY
He contrasted todayrCOs legislators with the late U.S. Sen. Warren
Magnuson, who co-authored the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act.
rCLToday is just like, make sure you like and subscribe and share,rCY Novoselic said. rCLThatrCOs what the legislators are about.rCY
KIRO host John Curley asked whether the Cascade Party has the financial resources to compete against union-backed Democrats. Novoselic
acknowledged the challenge but pointed to cracks in laborrCOs political alignment, noting the Teamsters offered no presidential endorsement in 2024.
rCLThese are polarized times, and even laborrCOs polarized,rCY Novoselic said. rCLThose guys with the lunch buckets and the pickup trucks, theyrCOre voting for Trump because theyrCOre not buying the other narrative.rCY
Novoselic said the Cascade Party has endorsed Dave Larson and Sean
OrCODonnell in the contested Washington Supreme Court races. He also said
the party is working with Marcia Kelbon, an independent candidate for
the State House in the 24th Legislative District.
The Cascade Party gained official recognition from Washington in August
2024 and publishes original reporting and analysis here.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to rCLThe John Curley ShowrCY weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.
-----------------------
Biography rCo Tarra Simmons
Washington State House Democrats (.gov)
https://housedemocrats.wa.gov rC| simmons rC| biography
Tarra suffered with behavioral health issues including substance use
disorder. Rock bottom came in 2011 when she was sentenced to 30 months
in prison.
Missing: Denelle rCA| Show results with: Denelle
Tarra Simmons
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org rC| wiki rC| Tarra_Simmons
Tarra Denelle Simmons (born 1977) is an American politician, lawyer,
former registered nurse, formerly incarcerated individual, and civil
rights activist ...Read more
People also ask
What was Tarra Simmons incarcerated for?
AI Overview
Tarra Simmons was incarcerated for felony convictions related to theft,
drug offenses, and having a gun in her car, following a severe struggle
with substance use disorder. She also previously pleaded guilty to second-degree assault earlier in her life.
PBS
+2
Convictions and Incarceration
Offenses: Charged with five felonies, including drug crimes, theft, and weapons possession, alongside an earlier second-degree assault conviction.
THIRTEEN - New York Public Media
+1
Sentence: Served 20 to 30 months in state prison following her arrests
in 2011.
Washington State House Democrats (.gov)
+2
Aftermath: After her release, she turned her life around, graduated from Seattle University School of Law, and became the first formerly
incarcerated person elected to the Washington State Legislature. Her
criminal record was subsequently vacated in September 2023.
Council on Criminal Justice
+5
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