A federal judge has cleared the way for Washington Mayor Ellen Brabo to move forward with a $1 million civil lawsuit against her own city and its former leader.
U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle rejected a motion from the City of Washington to dismiss the case. Brabo, who owns The Ell Hotel, filed the complaint just days before winning her mayoral seat. She accuses the city and former Mayor Donald Sadler of enacting restrictive zoning amendments and imposing unfair code enforcement to retaliate against her political activity and campaign.
While the city denies the allegations, Judge Boyle ruled that Brabo provided sufficient claims of First Amendment retaliation, substantive due process, and equal protection violations to push the case into discovery. The court put further decisions regarding Sadler’s individual liability on hold pending an appellate review.
