Commerce Connection: How Lisa Brown funded an attempted murderer
Le’Taxione aka “YOYO” aka Ernest Carter leading a protest in Spokane 2020. He is now back in jail.
Posted 15 September 2023
Le’Taxione is not the name of a tax-preparation service. Or a new ride-sharing startup. It is the assumed name of Ernest Carter who IS:
Convicted of assaulting a police officer
Convicted of attempted murder with a firearm
Convicted of first-degree robbery
Arrested and currently being held for biting and choking a domestic partner
A recipient of $50,000.00 from Lisa Brown’s Washington State’s Equity Relief Fund program (2020).
Just as in our story yesterday, Lisa Brown’s Department of Commerce failed to conduct required risk assessments and again the result is taxpayer money that went to an organization that Brown calls “trusted.” Recall Lisa Brown’s quote about the program,
“It is imperative that we step up to support these trusted and much-needed organizations operated by and serving BIPOC communities.” - Lisa Brown, Director of WA Dept of Commerce
On December 30, 2020 Lisa Brown’s Department of Commerce issued a press release announcing that Le’Taxione was awarded $50,000.00 in taxpayer money. He was in jail. Again.
Spokesman-Review reporter, Emma Epperly posted on December 21, 2020,
“In court documents, police say the victim reported Le’Taxione bit her on the left side of her face before hitting her multiple times and attempting to strangle her, on the evening of Dec. 14. A witness told police that Le’Taxione assaulted the victim for more than an hour while her children were in the house.
Le’Taxione is being held in Spokane County Jail on a $500,000 bond.”
Epperly also reported,
“In 1998, he was convicted of first-degree robbery in Washington’s Pierce County. It was his third serious offense, making him eligible for life without parole under the persistent offender law.
In 2016, he was granted clemency by Gov. Jay Inslee under the condition that he complete a work release program and comply with a variety of terms of supervision.”
Le’Taxione, Betsy Wilkerson and others at Spokane City Council chambers.
Governor Jay Inslee and Lisa Brown knew of Le’Taxione’s violent criminal history. One let him out of jail. The other gave him $50,000.00 of our taxpayer money. Betsy Wilkerson has been very critical of other elected officials recently for public appearances and yet she stands with a man convicted of attempted murder (above).
What is it going to take for these politicians to start conducting risk-assessments before they enable documented criminals like the tax-preparer of “Jewels” to keep “Helping their Hands” to our money? Governor Jay Inslee held a press conference with “Jewels” and called camp hope a model program. Lisa Brown gave $1.5 million dollars to “Jewels” for camp hope. And Betsy Wilkerson continues to defend “Jewels” even after her controversial “teambuilding” trip to Vegas that featured her employees being spanked by a “sexy nurse.”