Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth & 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

Man Found Dead of Fentanyl Overdose on Kent, WA Sidewalk

Another Victim of Permissive Drug Policies For the past few months, Discovery Institute has been gathering drug overdose death statistics all across WA. This includes photos, videos, and reports from the medical examiners office. The politicians do not want you to see the results. But we are now in the process of creating a public database to expose it all. Salfrando Butler died a few weeks ago on a sidewalk in Kent, poisoned by fentanyl. He was just shy of his 41st birthday. A quick search on Facebook shows a few pages under his name, each with a different theme: cooking, cars. Like he'd tried more than once to get his life back on… pic.twitter.com/ncZvblD8N0— Marsha Michaelis (@MarshaMichaelis) June 23, 2026

More Police Presence in Seattle’s Crime Hotspots Following Mayor’s Strong Statement

Foot Patrols Clear Criminal Activity Crime hotspots and drug dens in Seattle’s Chinatown-ID are now seeing more police foot patrols this weekend. This is clearly in response to the community outrage directed at Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. She’s accused of pushing homeless drug addicts into this Asian American neighborhood so World Cup fans feel safer in the downtown tourist corridor. But what happens after World Cup matches end and tourists leave the city? Happy Father’s Day from Seattle’s Chinatown-ID. Enjoy sharing the sidewalk with drug dealers and fetty zombies. I’m sure dad will enjoy the view during dim sum. What happened to Mayor Katie Wilson’s zero tolerance policy? https://t.co/fuUNmYsS7S pic.twitter.com/VXb66nxhGG— Jonathan Choe

Drug Addiction and Homelessness in South Seattle

World Cup Fallout Homeless drug addicts have taken over several streets and abandoned houses in South Seattle. The attitude of entitlement is out of control with this crew. They hurled water balloons in my direction then claimed to own the area. This hot mess is right next to a massive pickleball facility and school for the blind. Neighbors can thank Mayor Katie Wilson for this fallout. She’s accused of pushing encampments into other parts of the city to protect World Cup fans. HAPPENING NOW: Less than 24 hours before the first FIFA World Cup match is played in Seattle. But parts of the city look like a zombie apocalypse. Mayor Katie Wilson is accused of pushing homeless drug addicts outside of the downtown tourist corridor so fans do not get upset or…

Seattle Mayor Says Open-Air Drug Use “No Longer Tolerated”

Will She Follow Through? After Discovery Institute’s report on Seattle’s ongoing street crisis, Mayor Katie Wilson is finally admitting open-air fentanyl use and the black market of stolen goods in Chinatown-ID and North Beacon Hill are off the charts. Wilson now says arrests will be an option and lawless behavior will no longer be tolerated. We’ll have to wait and see. But I applaud Wilson if she follows through. This could save lives. Mayor’s Statement on 12th & Jackson and North Beacon Hill NEW: Seattle's first World Cup match is in the the books, but parts of the city look like a Third World country. That's because Mayor Katie Wilson is accused of sacrificing Chinatown-ID by pushing the city's homeless drug addicts into a

Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen: The Real Cost Local Business Owners Pay for Seattle Homelessness Policies

“That Happen Every Day” Seattle Mayor Katie is accused of ignoring pleas for help from business owners victimized by crime in Chinatown-ID. Late Sunday evening, we stumbled upon a car prowler outside Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen. Owner Henry Ku intervened and nearly got into a fight. He says homeless drug addicts have robbed him multiple times this year. His son says, “Whatever the City Hall is doing, it’s f*cked up.” HAPPENING NOW: Less than 24 hours before the first FIFA World Cup match is played in Seattle. But parts of the city look like a zombie apocalypse. Mayor Katie Wilson is accused of pushing homeless drug addicts outside of the downtown tourist corridor so fans do not get upset or… pic.twitter.com/RyjnFLrbXe— Jonathan

Downtown Seattle Sparkles for World Cup, Homeless Pushed to Outskirt Parks and Neighborhoods

Overlooked Communities Bearing the Brunt of Homeless Shuffle Less than 24 hours before the first FIFA World Cup match is played in Seattle. But parts of the city look like a zombie apocalypse. Mayor Katie Wilson is accused of pushing homeless drug addicts outside of the downtown tourist corridor so fans do not get upset or inhale second hand fetty smoke. Problem is, the addicts have all been pushed to vulnerable minority communities like Chinatown-ID. And business owners are pissed.

Unidentified Shooter Fires BB Pellets at Passersby Minutes Away from Lumen Field

T-4 Days Until World Cup Comes to Seattle Just days before the FIFA World Cup in Seattle, someone is firing steel BB’s at homeless drug addicts near Dr. Jose Rizal Park. This area is just minutes from the stadium where soccer matches will be played. Neighbors say they are seeing a cluster of new tents after Wilson aggressively swept encampments near the downtown tourist corridor. The mayor is accused of trying to mask the city’s drug crisis by pushing addicts to other parts of the city like Beacon Hill, Chinatown-ID, and now the East Duwamish Greenbelt. As long as fans do not see the urban decay and human suffering, the Wilson administration likely believes that’s a win.

Days Ahead of World Cup, Seattle’s Lumen Field Surrounded by Homeless Encampments

Worse Than Ever Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson wants these homeless drug addicts far away from the FIFA World Cup stadium in SODO. Imagine if fans and visitors saw the open-air drug use, tent encampments, and permissive street culture. What would they think of the city? We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and I are checking in on the city’s problematic hot spots. Right now, it looks worse than ever as Wilson pushes the addicts further away from the downtown tourist corridor. For whatever it’s worth, there’s another mega sweep scheduled for Friday in SODO. Will it make a difference?

Seattle Mayor Gives Press Conference on New Low Barrier Shelter

Credit to the Mayor Sunday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson joined a press conference to announce the grand opening of the Bayside Enhanced Shelter community in Interbay. Gonna be 75 units of transitional housing for homeless drug addicts. There’s already concern it’s going to become a crime magnet in the community. More on that in a moment. But for now, here is Wilson’s entire Q&A with the press. It turned into a semi sh*t show once the “Stop The Sweeps Seattle” crowd started criticizing the mayor for her aggressive encampment removals. They also pressed Wilson on her recent decision to activate surveillance cameras for the FIFA World Cup. Once again, this is another example of the far-left eating their own. Otherwise, credit to

Protestors Criticize Seattle City Attorney for Not Enforcing Neighborhood-Supported Laws

Living Among Pimps and Gun Battles Over the weekend, frustrated neighbors living near pimps and gun battles along Seattle’s notorious Aurora Ave N. blasted Mayor Katie Wilson for failing on public safety. They’re also calling out City Attorney Erika Evans. She’s following through on a campaign promise not to enforce certain laws that are already on the books like the Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) zones. The ordinance, championed by former Seattle Councilmember Cathy Moore and former City Attorney Ann Davison, bans people from certain areas if they’ve been charged or convicted of prostitution-related crimes. Evans says she wants to offer better alternatives. But many neighbors aren’t buying it. SEATTLE MAYOR BLASTED: Mayor Katie

Seattle Residents March Against Street Violence and Trafficking Occurring Under Mayor Wilson’s Watch

“No More Bullets in Our Bedrooms” Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening. Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this community. King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion, City Attorney Erika Evans, and Councilmember Bob Kettle showed up to lend support. But Mayor Katie Wilson was a no-show. Wilson has been facing enormous criticism for failing this community on public safety. Especially after she removed makeshift street barricades created by neighbors to prevent drive-by shootings. Here is the speaking portion of the event in full. NEW: Hundreds of angry

Hundreds Show Up to Seattle Protest Against Neighborhood Violence, Mayor Absent

“It’s Our Turn” Mayor Katie Wilson was MIA at Saturday night’s anti-violence march in North Seattle. Neighbors eviscerated mayor Wilson, calling her a coward and accusing her of being unprepared to address the staggering amount of human trafficking and ongoing pimp wars on Aurora Ave N. NEW: Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening.Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this… pic.twitter.com/geZRngPK96— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 7, 2026

Father of 6-Month-Old Who Narrowly Escaped Gunfire Calls on Seattle Mayor to Act

Where’s Katie? Neighbor Jake Wallack says his 6-month-old child was nearly hit by a stray bullet from the ongoing pimp wars along Aurora Ave N. Since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is paralyzed by the overwhelming public safety threat, Wallack is now calling on the National Guard to patrol the streets until this is handled. NEW: Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening.Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this… pic.twitter.com/geZRngPK96— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 7, 2026

Protestors Gather at Cicero Institute to Protest HUD’s Shift in Homeless Policy

Homeless INC Protests Changes Friday afternoon, far-left activists targeted Cicero Institute’s Homelessness Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Most of these professional protesters are aligned with Homeless INC and are deathly afraid of losing their gravy train. That’s because the Trump administration defunded Housing First, one of the greatest public policy failures in American history. It’s made the street crisis worse and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. But now the vast majority of that money will be flowing into treatment and recovery focused providers. Discovery Institute and Cicero Institute played a massive role in helping craft the direction of this new approach that will save lives. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez, Tom Wolf, and

Seattle Homelessness Czar Quits Weeks Before FIFA World Cup

No Explanation City of Seattle homelessness czar Jon Grant has abruptly quit, leaving Mayor Katie Wilson holding the bag on the massive drug fueled street crisis. No particular reason was given, but the city issued the following statement saying Grant “chose to resign effective June 1st after playing a key role in advancing the mayor’s highest priority: accelerating the development of new shelters with wraparound services to bring people inside.” My only interaction with Grant happened this past March when he refused to answer questions on the record about the mayor’s new tiny house villages. NEW: Seattle is moving rapidly to expand shelter for homeless drug addicts before the FIFA World Cup comes to the city. Faster than the public has been given time to

Seattle Mayor Makes Way for World Cup, Pushes Homeless to Chinatown

No Outreach In Sight We are just weeks away from the FIFA World Cup Games in Seattle. Mayor Katie Wilson is furiously trying to sweep homeless drug addicts out of the downtown core. But the mess is ending up in nearby Chinatown-ID and Beacon Hill. I spent several hours overnight in these hoods and it is worse than ever. Dozens of people are in the streets and public parks smoking fetty and starting fires to stay warm. No cops or outreach workers in sight. It is a lawless playground. Why is Wilson allowing these communities to devolve into a human dumping ground?

Seattle’s Lewis Park Still Open Despite Rampant Drug Activity

Disaster Area Why is Seattle’s Lewis Park still open? It is a full blown drug den and playground for addicts, fentanyl dealers, and sex traffickers. It’s also home to many missing people. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and I went looking for Benjamin George Petry this week. Sadly, we did not find him. But we saw so many problems on full display like the inflow crisis. Most of the people slinging meth and fetty aren’t even from this area. We also met a baby faced 19-year-old addicted to all kinds of drugs. Meanwhile, elected officials are paralyzed by this issue and the city has turned into a lawless playground. NEW: Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin says he might call for the temporary closure of Lewis Park in the Beacon Hill

Lime Bikes Stolen, Used in Homeless Encampments

Cost of Doing Business Homeless drug addicts are now using Lime bikes to prop up their encampments in Seattle. Company workers gathering these rentals must navigate through dangerous encampments to reclaim their property. Cost of doing business in this city under socialist mayor Katie Wilson.

Seattle Clears More than 30 Tents Out of Chinatown, Addicts Refusing Services

Game of Whack-A-Mole Continues After months of paralysis by the city, more than 30 drug tents are being swept out of Chinatown-ID today. Problem is, the vast majority of people here are fentanyl addicts so they are refusing to take shelter and services being offered by the city. They’re just moving down the block and the game of Whack-A-Mole continues. This is exactly why Mayor Katie Wilson’s idea to build more tiny houses to address the street crisis is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Only Homeless INC and the builders will benefit as elected officials race to clear drug encampments before the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, We Heart Seattle is getting people into treatment and recovery, one person at a time. NEW: Holy crap! The latest drug encampment at