Photo: City of Everett
A deputy mayor in Washington State has reportedly stepped down from his position following an investigation into his romantic relationship with a mayor.
KIRO 7 learned Nick Harper, the deputy mayor of Everett, officially resigned back in October after the city council found out he was dating Mayor Cassie Franklin. Council members retained a lawyer earlier this year to investigate their relationship and determine whether they violated any city rules.
The investigation found that Harper and Franklin haven't misused city time or money nor violated city policies while they were together, according to a report published in May from the law firm.
"The preponderance of the evidence does not support that the personal romantic relationship between Mayor Franklin and Mr. Harper has involved malfeasance, misuse of City resources, or violation of City policies," the document reads.
The report states Franklin separated from her husband in July 2022 and filed for divorce in November 2022. A month after the filing, she started disclosing to "key city officials" about her romantic involvement with Harper, who's been deputy mayor since 2018.
The Everett mayor previously stated she spoke with the city's human resources department, and Franklin was allegedly told that a “consensual relationship with a city employee” wouldn’t violate any existing policies.
City officials confirmed to reporters that Harper submitted his resignation letter on October 16 and left his position three days later.