Young Kwak and Gage Skidmore
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward (left) and U.S Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Last night, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward tweeted the following:
"I am proud to have led the passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act in the House two weeks ago. I will not stop fighting until fentanyl stops killing loved ones in our communities."
What does the mayor of Washington's second biggest city have to do with the federal HALT Fentanyl Act?
Not much. But U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers has plenty to do with it. She’s a longtime member of the House who has been vocal about the fentanyl crisis.
There’s also the fact that the tweet included a picture with the word “Cathy” in it.
The tweet was quickly deleted.
This morning, Woodward posted an explanation: “I employ a part-time staffer who assists with my social media as well as other campaigns. Unfortunately, there was a tweet from my account that should not have been posted. Apologies for the misunderstanding.”
The screw-up was especially timely, as it came just hours after this week's issue of the Inlander started hitting newsstands with a lengthy article on how a network of former and current McMorris Rodgers staffers have been pulling behind-the-scenes strings in local Spokane politics.
So who sent the tweet?
Woodward’s campaign manager Jeff Fix, who previously worked as field coordinator for McMorris Rodgers, hasn’t responded to our request for comment sent this morning. The mayor has also ignored the question on Twitter.
McMorris Rodgers, a Republican who has served as Eastern Washington’s House representative since 2004, is a close political ally of Woodward, who is running for reelection this year.
So who sent the tweet?
Woodward’s campaign manager Jeff Fix, who previously worked as field coordinator for McMorris Rodgers, hasn’t responded to our request for comment sent this morning. The mayor has also ignored the question on Twitter.
In recent months, Woodward and McMorris Rodgers have spent thousands on campaign staff, consultants and public relations firms. But by looking through reports from the state’s Public Disclosure Commission and the Federal Election Commission, there’s only one person who appears to be on both politicians’ payrolls.
In March this year, McMorris Rodgers reported paying $327 to someone named Katarina Kenlein. That same month, Woodward paid $220 to someone named Katie Kenlein, who has a Facebook profile that confirms that Katie is short for Katarina.
Kenlein is from Spokane, and currently attends a private, northeast conservative Christian school. She’s been quoted in The Center Square speaking out against Spokane City Council’s 2022 resolution barring local law enforcement from helping investigate or prosecute abortion patients or providers. She’s also been quoted by the Topeka Capital-Journal as a canvasser for an anti-abortion group.
Kenlein didn’t respond to a Facebook message today seeking comment.
We can’t say for sure that Kenlein posted the tweet, but we couldn’t find any one else who fits Woodward’s description of a “part-time staffer who assists with my social media as well as other campaigns.”
To be clear: we’re not trying to get a college student who makes a couple hundred dollars a month as a part-time staffer in trouble for what appears to be a simple mistake.
However, the mix-up does shed further light on the political world shared by Woodward and McMorris Rodgers.
Former state Commerce director Lisa Brown, who is running to unseat Woodward in this year’s mayoral election, says the Twitter goof and this week's Inlander story show the growing influence of national politics at the local level.
“That’s the framework that I think her campaign is putting things into,” Brown says. “It’s not surprising given that that’s the environment in Washington, D.C. that has kind of crept into Spokane politics.”
Does Brown write her own tweets?
“I do, maybe there’s a couple times I’ve had someone post one for me, but it’s always in consultation with me,” Brown says. “I’ve been doing my own Twitter feed for a long time.” ♦
