Sheriff Urquhart accused of trying to intimidate critics

SEATTLE — Supporters of a woman who accuse King County Sheriff John Urquhart of rape say he is trying to intimidate them.

They claim he threatened to release accuser's medical records. 

Now the accuser has obtained a temporary sexual assault protection order against the sheriff.

In court proceedings, sheriff's investigators said Urquhart told them not to document the rape allegation that was made last year.

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​That's what caused Equal Rights Washington to withhold its endorsement in next week's election.

"That is not a process error that is not a mistake. That is an abuse of power," said ERW board President Monisha Harrell at a news conference this morning.

Ultimately Seattle police and a King County prosecutor cleared Urquhart of the charge.

"My name has been smeared quite substantially in the press today." Urquhart said in a statement today.

But ERW Board Chair Monisha Harrell said the sheriff's lawyers tried to intimidate her with an emailed letter just before today's news conference. It says they would be "watching" the event. And it also said "it would be unfortunate if the election outcome were altered by an improper intrusion by anyone."

"It is intimidating. Somebody from law enforcement is telling you we're watching you -- that's intimidating. I don't care who you are. I mean I feel like I'm tough as nails but that's still scary," Harrell said.

Harrell also accused Urquhart's office of also trying to discredit the woman who says Urquhart assaulted her by releasing her medical records.

Harrell released a recording of Urquhart describing the woman's actions at a political event.

"(The accuser) also accused me of trying to kill her in Boston, but running her down in a car... On Capitol Hill by sneaking into her apartment and turning on the gas so the apartment building would explode when she came home...She accuses me of following her through five states on two coasts to stalk her..."

The usually accessible Urquhart refused on-camera interviews today. In a statement the said, "I have never released any private medical records of my accuser. Nor was there any offer to release medical records by anyone in my office. The Sheriff's Office has no medical records. Anything to the contrary is a flat-out lie." 

A hearing on the protective order is scheduled for next Tuesday, Election Day. 

Cox Media Group