Northern California official refuses to resign over drug charge, sexual harassment – By Alec Regimbal (SF Gate) / July 18, 2022
An embattled city councilmember in the small Northern California town of Arcata is refusing calls from colleagues and the community to resign after being the subject of multiple allegations of misconduct over the past several months. The latest of those scandals — a sexual harassment claim by a city staff member, based on interactions that a third-party investigation called “undisputed” — follows DUI and cocaine charges that preceded a demotion from mayor to city councilmember last year.
Brett Watson first joined the Arcata City Council in 2017; in 2019 and 2021, the city council selected him as mayor. His second stint didn’t last long, though: His colleagues stripped him of that position in October, a little more than two months after Watson was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also in possession of cocaine and “a smoking device” at the time of his arrest, according to a report by the Mad River Union, which spoke to Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming about the case.
Around the same time, the council brought in outside investigators to look into allegations that he had sexually harassed a staffer he was romantically interested in. The resulting 602-page report, which SFGATE has obtained, determined Watson repeatedly “abused his power” as a city councilman, based on interviews with other city staffers, as well as notes, email excerpts and text messages.
