Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty

Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy.

Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entreprenuership to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago.

As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.

Choe is a New England native and Boston University journalism school graduate.

Archives

Seattle Mayor Leaves Press Conference Without Taking Any Questions

Running Scared Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is once again running scared from the media. Wednesday afternoon, Wilson quietly left a press conference about homeless shelters before it even ended. One local tv station reporter could be overheard arguing with Wilson’s communications director Sage Wilson, demanding an explanation. This is straight up amateur hour. #EXCLUSIVE: Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is dodging all my questions about the devastating homeless drug crisis destroying lives in her city. She's also avoiding questions about the controversial encampment sweeps ramping up under her watch. So I had to confront her at… pic.twitter.com/9238x5SoZC— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) February 25, 2026 Contentious Relationship Since taking office

Seattle Encampment Returns Just Weeks After Two Sweeps

Waste of Taxpayer Dollars Even after two mega sweeps last month, homeless drug addicts are back at the corner of MLK Jr Way and Rainier Ave S. What a waste of taxpayer dollars. New drug encampments are also popping up across the city. That’s because all the addicts know Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson won’t follow through with arrests, and City Attorney Erika Evans won’t prosecute for illegal camping. Just a reminder, the FIFA World Cup is just three months away. NEW: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now dealing with a credibility problem. She said homeless outreach and sweeps would be done differently. But in reality, nothing has changed from the prior administration. On Friday, the MLK Jr. Way drug encampment was cleared for the second…

Seattle Workers Offer Homeless Woman Mold-Infested Tiny Home

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson bragged about delaying an encampment sweep so she could place several homeless people into shelter and housing, implying this would be a new way of getting people off the streets. “There I talked with a woman who was five months sober,” Mayor Wilson said at her State of the City Address, “and had three small dogs. We were able to identify a spot for her in a tiny house village.” But after Wilson’s State of the City Address last week, We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez did a simple follow-up to see if that woman with three dogs actually made it off the streets. “People don’t always accept the services they’re referred to,” Suarez explained. Surrounded by drug paraphernalia and a sense of

Homeless Refuse Shelter as Mayor Wilson Continues Encampment Sweeps

Displaced Another massive encampment sweep under Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. More than 20 people were displaced Tuesday afternoon around the Ballard Bevmo liquor store. But biz owners are worried it might come roaring back. #EXCLUSIVE: One week ago, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson took a victory lap during the State of the City address and implied her new approach to housing the homeless was working. Problem is, one of the women allegedly housed is now back on the streets. She claims city workers… https://t.co/oaY9CaOTmp pic.twitter.com/0HL5mnVANQ— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) February 24, 2026 Homeless Say “No” to Shelter Instead of taking shelter and services offered by the city, most of the men and women just moved their tents down the road. Once

Seattle Mayor Ignores Media Questions About Homeless Encampment Sweeps

No Comment Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is dodging all my questions about the devastating homeless drug crisis destroying lives in her city. She’s also avoiding questions about the controversial encampment sweeps ramping up under her watch. So I had to confront her at a public event Tuesday afternoon. WATCH. Woman Remains Homeless Still no explanation from Wilson about this mold infested tiny house given to a homeless woman by city workers. She’s now back on the streets with her dogs. Wilson Follows in Harrell’s Footsteps When Wilson was running for office, she slammed former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for aggressively sweeping drug encampments. Now that Wilson is in City Hall she’s doing the same thing. I wanted to

Homeless Woman Reunited with Family After They Spotted Her in Video

Home Some good news coming out of the crime, chaos, and death ravaging Seattle. Over the weekend, the family of Marissa Flores watched my coverage of We Heart Seattle doing outreach at a drug encampment in the city. After contacting me for a location, Flores’ family immediately jumped in the car, started a search, and miraculously found her in a tent. She’s now in detox and back home with her kids. The politicians, academics, and activists keep saying this is primarily being fueled by an affordable housing crisis. Flores’ family says don’t listen to them. They say it’s time to focus on drug treatment and recovery first if we are going to save lives in this city. NEW: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now dealing with a credibility

Mayor Wilson Continues Sweeps, Has No Solutions for Service Resistant

Nothing Has Changed Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now dealing with a credibility problem. She said homeless outreach and sweeps would be done differently. But in reality, nothing has changed from the prior administration. On Friday, the MLK Jr. Way drug encampment was cleared for the second time in less than a month. The addicts returned immediately and set up tents in the very same spot or simply moved across the street. The so-called “service resistant” people do not believe cops will arrest them for illegal camping. Men and women out here also know for a fact City Attorney Erika Evans won’t prosecute for open-air drug use. That’s why Seattle keeps losing this game of Whack-A-Mole. BTW, anyone see District 2 Councilmember Eddie Lin? This

Stop The Sweeps Seattle Publishes Demand Letter for Mayor Wilson

Eating Their Own Stop The Sweeps Seattle is finally speaking out against Mayor Katie Wilson’s drug encampment sweeps. Members of this far-left activist group wrote a demand letter in Real Change News and slammed Wilson for essentially doing the exact same thing as her predecessor Bruce Harrell. But for now, there is no doubt they are going easier on her. NEW: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now dealing with a credibility problem. She said homeless outreach and sweeps would be done differently. But in reality, nothing has changed from the prior administration. On Friday, the MLK Jr. Way drug encampment was cleared for the second… https://t.co/oaY9CaPrbX pic.twitter.com/knxFRfb1gT— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) February 22, 2026 Crashing Press Conferences I

Lake City Residents Call on Mayor to Confront Addiction Crisis

Drug-Fueled Chaos Lake City neighbors are blasting socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson after her first State of the City address. They say she failed to offer solutions to combat the fentanyl epidemic destroying lives on the streets. People living on 33rd Ave NE say their hood is an absolute disaster zone and looks like a scene out of a zombie movie. Addicts are laid out on the road, kids play in a needle infested park, and drug encampments are spreading on to sidewalks. One brave resident shot this video today from his car to prove how bad it is right now. He’s challenging Mayor Wilson to show up and see the drug-fueled chaos and human suffering for herself. This community is demanding immediate solutions and is tired of the Housing First mantra that is clearly not

New Seattle Mayor Continues to Pursue Failed Homeless Policies

Making the Problem Worse The homeless drug crisis is out of control in Seattle. And it’s now evident Mayor Katie Wilson is going to make the problem worse. During her first State of the City address, she talked about building more housing and shelter. But no solutions to deal with mental illness or drug addiction ravaging the city. NEW: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is giving her first State of City address today. Like all mayors, she will say the city is headed in the right direction. What else are they supposed to say? Meanwhile in Green Lake, homeless drug addicts are sprawled out along the running trails.… https://t.co/joluTB2fda pic.twitter.com/6WyYpY9s56— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) February 17, 2026 Sweep, Sweep, Sweep Aside from changing some policy

Addicts Proliferate on the Front Porch of One of Seattle’s Largest Homeless Outreach Providers

Out of Control As Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson prepares to deliver her first State of the City address, parts of downtown remain a drug infested disaster. Especially the Belltown neighborhood near 2nd Ave and Blanchard St. Sunday evening, I watched dozens of addicts come and go, selling fentanyl in front of children with no cops in sight. Ironically they are using the vestibule of REACH, one of the largest homeless outreach providers funded with taxpayer dollars from the city. Yet REACH leaders can’t even get the situation under control in front of their own HQ. It’s time the Wilson administration do a full audit of these failing organizations. HEADS UP: @mayorofseattle delivers her first State of the City speech tomorrow in the Central District.

Seattle Small Businesses Forced to Get Creative to Ward Off Drug Addicts

Taking Matters into Their Own Hands Seattle leaders have failed Belltown business owners, allowing drug addicts to take over sidewalks for years. Councilmember Bob Kettle is MIA, Mayor Katie Wilson has no immediate solutions, and City Attorney Erika Evans says she won’t prosecute open-air drug use. So now the owner of Club Dogfish on 3rd Ave is taking matters into his own hands, setting up plants and trees in his vestibule to keep out the fentanyl users. But this move could be a violation of a city ordinance to keep public spaces clear. So now the showdown begins. Will the city give small business owners a break or will they selectively enforce the law? I wonder if this will be addressed in Wilson’s State of the City address on Tuesday. NEW: As

Mayor Wilson Doubles Down on Housing First, Ignores the Service Resistant

Repeating Mistakes During Tuesday’s State of the City address, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson will say she is building more affordable housing to address the city’s homeless crisis. But she’s doubling down on the same “Housing First” policies that have failed this region for more than a decade and it won’t work. Not until she figures out how to deal with the “service resistant” class of people living on the streets. These are the men and women who are heavily addicted to drugs and refuse all shelter and treatment services currently available. Just drive down Rainier Ave S and you will find them everywhere. All the encampment sweeps under her watch have forced many people to move to this part of the city. Wilson is simply

Mayor Wilson Repeats Harrell Administration with Endless Encampment Sweeps

Playing Whack-A-Mole Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s homelessness strategy is turning into a game of Whack-A-Mole. The MLK Way encampment cleared last month has already come roaring back. There are at least 20 people living here. Open-air drug use is rampant. During her State of the City address on Tuesday, Wilson will say she’s building more shelters in the city. But anyone in the outreach world will tell you the mayor has ZERO plan for the “service resistant.” In other words, Wilson can build all the shelters she wants. But unless there is a mechanism to force people indoors, the crisis will get worse and the sweeps will continue. So far, we are seeing a repeat of the Bruce Harrell administration. RINSE REPEAT: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is

Lone Tent Stands as Stark Contrast to Seattle Super Bowl Celebration

The Seahawks Super Bowl parade drew hundreds of thousands of people into Seattle. You would think Mayor Katie Wilson would sweep tents near the Space Needle, one of the crown jewels in the city. Instead, a massive drug tent stood out like a sore thumb. Cops walked by without batting an eye. Another embarrassing moment for the Wilson administration that clearly isn’t ready for the big time. HAPPENING NOW: On the eve of Seattle's Super Bowl parade, the human dumping ground known as Little Saigon is packed with open-air drug use and addicts selling stolen items to buy fentanyl. This area is just minutes from the downtown core and problems here could easily spill into… pic.twitter.com/LXkNSeVOHd— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) February 11, 2026

Encampment Sweeps Continue Apace Under Mayor Wilson

City Plays Whack-A-Mole Homeless outreach workers say encampment sweeps are rapidly picking up across Seattle under Mayor Katie Wilson. The latest one happened Wednesday morning near 6th Ave & Yesler Way in downtown. It’s unclear how many people chose to take services or shelter options. But by all accounts, it’s turning into another game of Whack-A-Mole as Wilson remains under enormous pressure to clear everyone out before the FIFA World Cup later this year. Meanwhile, notice how far-left activist group Stop The Sweeps Seattle is nowhere to be found. They were a constant thorn in the side of former Mayor Bruce Harrell and criticized him for using the same encampment removal methods as Wilson. But when it comes to comrade Katie, they are suddenly

Bizarre 911 Call Illustrates Dysfunction of Plymouth Housing System

Enabling Chaos Representatives with the homeless industrial complex are in Olympia this week, begging lawmakers for more money and support. They know funding cuts are on the way to the disastrous permanent supportive housing models that enable crime, chaos, and death in WA communities. Meanwhile, the Plymouth Housing/PorchLight campus has already triggered multiple 911 calls in this new year. Listen to this bizarre incident on January 16. A bystander reported this vicious beatdown outside the facility in the Eastgate neighborhood. But once the fellas involved realized they were being watched by witnesses, they pretended like it was just an “act” and quickly walked back into Plymouth. NEW: The Bellevue City Council is raising massive safety concerns

Mayor Wilson Has No Plan for the Service Resistant Homeless Community

Zero Solutions Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is getting hammered after another disruptive sweep under her new administration. But the criticism isn’t coming from her comrades with far-left activist group Stop the Sweeps Seattle. Homeless drug addicts say her promise to do things differently from the previous administration hasn’t materialized. The vast majority of the people living at the MLK Jr. Way encampment rejected services and shelter options Wednesday morning, then fled into the deep woods. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez calls them the “service resistant.” And right now, Mayor Wilson has offered zero solutions to address this group causing the most harm to themselves and the community. NEW: Start the sweeps Seattle! Even after

New Seattle Mayor Plays Same Whack-a-Mole Encampment Sweep Game as Harrell

Same Ol’ Same Ol’ Start the sweeps Seattle! Even after Mayor Katie Wilson promised to handle the homeless drug crisis differently, the city is quietly clearing out drug encampments and it’s still a game of Whack-a-mole. The vast majority of people at Wednesday morning’s sweep along Martin Luther King Jr Way rejected shelter options and headed right down the block to set up tents. That’s because they wanted to do their drugs. Difference is, far-left activist group Stop The Sweeps Seattle is surprisingly quiet about the encampment removals under the mayor. I'm taking immediate action to help bring people inside. #thisisyourcity pic.twitter.com/1Kog1Vwpp3— Mayor Katie B. Wilson (@MayorofSeattle) January 21, 2026 Double