Kshama Sawant’s husband arrested for alleged assault on 22-year-old congressional staffer
Oct 4, 2025, 5:05 AM
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 09: Kshama Sawant (left), Seattle city councilmember and Socialist, addresses protesters on November 9, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. Demostrations in multiple cities around the country were held the day following Donald Trump's upset win in the U.S. presidential election. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Kshama Sawant’s husband, Calvin Priest, was arrested on suspicion of allegedly assaulting a 22-year-old woman. The young woman was part of the opposing campaign team for Congressman Adam Smith, Sawant’s political rival in the race for a congressional seat.
The incident allegedly occurred at Renton Technical College during a Town Hall event for Congressman Smith.
According to MyNorthwest, video footage shows that Priest led a group of protestors into the Town Hall. The 22-year-old staffer attempted to block their entry, but the group marched past her while chanting.
The Town Hall was ultimately canceled due to the disruption. Priest was booked into jail along with two others for trespassing.
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‘It shook my staff member up emotionally’
Following the incident, the young woman appeared in an interview displaying significant bruising on her arm.
“It shook my staff member up emotionally. I mean, you’re here at a public town hall meeting and someone is in your face, screaming at you, and then physically shoving you to the side. Public servants shouldn’t have to put up with that,” Congressman Smith told KOMO News.
“This is not an effort to win an argument. This is an effort to use threats and intimidation to silence any opposition so that only your point of view gets heard. It is completely anti-democracy, and it’s a real threat to our country—to our ability to have a representative democracy where we get together, talk about issues, disagree or argue in a civil way,” Smith added.
Calvin Priest accepted a stipulated order of continuance, which allows the city to pause prosecution as long as he stays out of trouble and likely completes community service. If he fails to comply, a judge can convict him based on the police report.
Priest has frequently appeared inside Seattle City Council chambers, where he has led chants and contributed to disruptions of Council meetings.
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