Overview
- House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, a Democrat from West Seattle, acknowledged he was intoxicated during a Wednesday House Appropriations executive session on House Bill 2289.
- Video of the hearing showed slurred remarks, and the chair briefly recessed the meeting before Fitzgibbon returned to deliver comments on the supplemental operating budget.
- In a statement, Fitzgibbon called drinking before work a poor choice and said it would not happen again as he committed to finishing the session sober.
- Republican members of the committee told reporters his impairment was obvious, with Rep. Michelle Valdez criticizing his conduct and invoking Chair Timm Ormsby’s past DUI incident in questioning leadership response.
- As of the latest reports, no disciplinary action has been announced, and the episode has drawn scrutiny during an active budget debate.