A sitting mayor is moving forward with a million-dollar legal battle against her own city.
Washington Mayor Ellen Brabo is seeking one million dollars in damages and attorney’s fees in a federal lawsuit filed against the City of Washington and its former mayor, Donald Sadler. The Washington Daily News is reporting that the specific dollar amount was made public this week during a hearing in Raleigh, where Brabo’s attorney estimated the figure based on lost revenue from her business, the Ell Hotel.
The lawsuit, which Brabo originally filed just days before she was elected mayor last November, challenges a 2024 city ordinance that restricted bed-and-breakfast operations. Brabo alleges the rules were passed as a retaliatory tactic to discourage her from running for office.
While the city has moved to dismiss the case, a federal judge has not yet made a ruling on whether the lawsuit can proceed. Brabo has agreed to dismiss claims against Sadler in his professional capacity, but the case continues against him as an individual.
