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

What You Will See in Seattle on Labor Day Weekend

Dying City Do not come to Seattle this Labor Day weekend. Unless you want to see mentally ill people running through the streets, homeless drug addicts destroying neighborhoods, and a black market of stolen goods being fueled by violent criminals. Sunday afternoon, I visited three hots spots in Chinatown-ID, SODO, and downtown. It’s worse than ever. Now you know why socialist Mayor Katie Wilson’s approval ratings are hitting new lows. She has lost this city. NEW: That high energy rally for socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson turned into an epic fail. Sunday afternoon, only five supporters showed up to City Hall. Of course they defended Wilson's policies and ignored her plummeting approval ratings as the mayor deals with record…

Community Rallies Around Single Mom Fighting to Evict Squatter

An Auburn single mom says she is dealing with a squatter from hell. She accuses him of skipping out on paying rent for months and making threats against her family. She says King County's eviction courts are so backed up, she's now forced to take matters into her own hands.

Pallet Shelter CEO Says “Wait and See” to Questions About Low Barrier Concerns

What Happens Next? Pallet Shelter CEO Amy King says she is now exiting the homeless housing space. So what happens if these unique tiny houses start breaking down like an old dish washer? Will there be replacement parts? Who’s doing the repairs? Still tons of unanswered questions after King’s abrupt announcement that she’s shutting down Pallet. I spoke to King during the company’s grand opening in Seattle’s Inter Bay neighborhood in June. Aside from being a builder, she also led a successful workforce development program called Weld. So I asked King point blank why she would risk her reputation by aligning herself with some of the most notorious homeless housing providers in the region. She told me this time it would be

Victory for Independent Journalism! Washington Capitol Correspondents Association Settles Press Pass Dispute

Freedom of the Press WA’s Capitol Correspondents Association capitulated and will no longer try to block me, Ari Hoffman, and Brandi Kruse from obtaining a press pass to cover the Legislature in Olympia. But through the discovery process, we learned some of the CCA gatekeepers had a personal vendetta against us. And those individuals work for the Seattle Times and WA State Standard. No one should be surprised. BTW, no one from legacy media showed up to cover Thursday’s press conference. The first major victory in our free press fight against the state of Washington. Congressional Democrat faces backlash from her party for not falling in line. Washington AG mad Trump doesn’t want to mutilate kids. Seattle mayor still can’t get her story straight on the

Seattle Low Barrier Homeless Services Provider Closes Up Shop

Defunded Holy crap! Seattle’s homeless industrial complex is taking a massive hit. Pallet Shelter is going out of business. CEO Amy King announced that she is ejecting from this space saying “funding and political environments have shifted, and our customers have pivoted in how they approach this work.” In other words, low barrier “Housing First” projects that allow drug use are being defunded by the Trump administration. The homeless housing grift is starting to implode. This comes just a few months after socialist Mayor Katie Wilson went all in on these tiny house projects. NEW: Sunday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson joined a press conference to announce the grand opening of the Bayside Enhanced Shelter community in Interbay.

Seattle Mayor Says Chinatown’s 12th & Jackson Condition “Improving,” Video Evidence Shows Otherwise

Is She Lying or Delusional? I can now confidently say socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is either a liar, delusional, or a little bit of both. Wilson went up on stage at Epic Life Church Wednesday evening and proclaimed the notorious 12th Ave & Jackson St drug den in Chinatown-ID is improving. That assessment is total B.S. Good thing I report on this intersection every week and keep video receipts. Wilson also touts the LEAD program for helping. But this diversion program is one of the main reasons why criminals remain on the streets. The reality is Wilson has allowed this Asian American neighborhood to devolve into a human dumping ground. Wilson admits the CID is even worse on weekends because there aren’t enough cops to patrol the streets. Epic

Seattle Mayor Evades Questions Ahead of Community Forum

Expect Angry Neighbors The North Precinct Advisory Council will be hosting socialist Mayor Katie Wilson for a community forum at 7pm. Expect angry neighbors to blast Wilson for failing to get rid of homeless drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang bangers ravaging the community. SEATTLE MAYOR BLASTED: 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… https://t.co/q3VtyuoGrJ pic.twitter.com/gNQrrPUQMB— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 7, 2026 Event at Epic Life Church Doors open at 6:30pm, Epic Life Church. 10510 Stone Ave N, Seattle, WA

Children Seen Walking Through Drug-Infested Chinatown Corner

Zero Cops, Zero Coverage Saturday afternoon, I saw children walking through the Chinatown-ID drug den. Drug addicts and criminals have conquered the sidewalks at the corner of 12th Ave & Jackson St. Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is MIA. No cops. Zero coverage from local media. Where is the outrage? NEW: It's been more than two months since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson promised to enforce the law and cleanup Chinatown-ID's open air drug market. It's now worse than ever and the mayor is running from all my questions. Saturday afternoon, I bumped into an old school… https://t.co/fuUNmYsS7S pic.twitter.com/ukImoW5jQG— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) August 30, 2026

Chinatown Drug Den Worse Than Ever Two Months After Mayor Promised Crackdown on Crime

Progressive Policies in Action It’s been more than two months since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson promised to enforce the law and cleanup Chinatown-ID’s open air drug market. It’s now worse than ever and the mayor is running from all my questions. Saturday afternoon, I bumped into an old school street cat who goes by “Antoine.” Not sure if that’s even his real name. He has government subsidized housing but is deeply addicted to fentanyl. Last time I saw him he was walking near 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID. Today, I found him smoking drugs with his feet amputated. Instead of arresting this young man for public drug use and getting him into treatment, the city’s LEAD diversion program has allowed him to stay on

Jonathan Choe and Tyler Oliveira Investigate Seattle’s Most Heavily Drug Addicted Neighborhoods

Jonathan Choe recently teamed up with YouTuber and independent journalist Tyler Oliveira to report on the drug addiction crisis on Seattle’s streets. The pair visited Chinatown, Ballard, and Beacon Hill — neighborhoods that have all been afflicted by open-air drug addiction, chronic homelessness, and unfettered crime. Along the way, they spoke with local residents and business owners about how city leaders continue to ignore these deteriorating conditions.

Las Vegas Mole People: Jonathan Choe and Kevin Dahlgren Talk with Podcaster Sean Kelly

Underneath Las Vegas lies a network of tunnels intended to channel floodwaters. But they are also filled with hundreds of homeless people who have made the tunnels their home. Earlier this year, independent journalists Jonathan Choe and Kevin Dahlgren explored these tunnels. Now, they sit down with podcaster Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour Podcast to discuss what they found. Choe and Dahlgren also discuss broader topics around homelessness, such as why Housing First has failed to solve the homelessness crisis, how fentanyl has changed the crisis, the multi-billion-dollar industry homelessness services have become, and more. Watch “The Tragic Tale of the Las Vegas Mole People”

Another Encampment Sweep in Seattle Just Moves the Homeless Around

Mayor Wilson Plays Whack-A-Mole Mega drug encampment sweep is underway in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. More than 30 tents are being eviscerated in front of the Fred Meyer. Watch as this man simply drags all his belongings and sets up shop on the other side of the parking lot. The game of Whack-A-Mole continues under socialist Mayor Katie Wilson. YouTube journalist Tyler Oliveira, We Heart Seattle, and I recently spotlighted this crime-ridden hell hole that’s been blamed for sex trafficking, violence, and fentanyl dealing on the regular. I Exposed Seattle's Deadly Drug Crisis… pic.twitter.com/QGOWiJHI59— Tyler Oliveira (@tyleraloevera) August 20, 2026

Homelessness Overruns Seattle Library with Jonathan Choe and TPUSA’s Savanah Hernandez

Total Disaster It’s the city’s worst-kept secret. Seattle Public Libraries are being used as drug dens and hangouts for the homeless. Savanah Hernandez exposed some of the most problematic locations. Meanwhile, city leaders recently passed a $400 million property tax levy to fund this insanity. FULL SEATTLE DOC: Take a walk with @savsays through Seattle’s $165 million downtown library.On its face, the building is beautiful but a look inside exposes the rampant drug use that has destroyed another library, creating an unsafe environment for women and children.Locals… pic.twitter.com/kgVF5OaIJR— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) August 17, 2026

Seattle’s Lewis Park Cleared Out, Closed Due to Drug and Criminal Activity

Developing As I first reported last month, the notorious Lewis Park drug den in Seattle is finally being shut down. This morning, city crews and cops booted everyone off the premises. Socialist Mayor Katie Wilson has allowed this hell hole to fester for months. Honduran fentanyl dealers used the deep woods and cover of darkness to prey on addicts. Multiple women were sexually assaulted. Fires raged out of control. The question now, where is everyone headed? We Heart Seattle is on the ground doing outreach. This is a developing story. BREAKING: After hundreds of community complaints, Seattle leaders are finally shutting down the city's most notorious drug den. During Wednesday's south precinct public safety meeting, officials said Lewis Park in North

Homeless Squatters May Be to Blame for Historic Portland Building Fire

“This Fire Could Have Been Prevented” Sources say the inferno that torched the Centennial Mills building in Portland’s Pearl District over the weekend may have been caused by homeless squatters. Kevin Dahlgren and I have been reporting on the ground and talked to witnesses who watched in horror as the historic 116-year-old abandoned structure went up on flames.

False Alarm at Plymouth Housing: Jonathan Choe Not on the Premises

Living Rent Free I am sifting through dozens of 911 calls triggered by the chaotic Plymouth Housing/PorchLight facility in Bellevue. It sounds like police dispatchers thought I was trespassing on the property this week. Stop racially profiling me. Not all Asian guys look the same. It wasn’t me! Otherwise, neighbors and business owners say they are livid about this taxpayer funded homeless hell hole since staff turn a blind eye to fentanyl use in rooms. It also remains a favorite destination for convicted criminals. Both organizations have trespassed me after I exposed all the bad behavior spilling into the community. **I’ve attached my photo for future reference.** EXCLUSIVE: The City of Bellevue just released its latest report on the public

Volunteers Continue Fighting Theft While City Sits on Its Hands

Citizens to the Rescue The legends are back. Bellevue community watch volunteers are fighting crime and stopping thieves at the QFC grocery store in Crossroads. Witnesses say two suspected drug addicts tried to take off with stolen items this week. But they were immediately chased down and forced to give up the goods. What’s even more pathetic, the dude tries to save himself and leaves his female accomplice behind. What a loser.

Community Volunteers Stop Elderly Woman from Shoplifting, Offer Services

Sad Situation The Bellevue community watch volunteers are doing an invaluable service by hunting down crooks who ransack local grocery stores. On many occasions, the stolen goods end up being sold for pennies on the dollar in Seattle so drug addicts can buy their next fix. But sometimes the thieves are local grandmas, like this woman who allegedly loaded up her cart with all kinds of stolen items. The community watch volunteer was firm but gentle. In the end, she pretty much admitted to the crime and inquired about getting more government subsidies. NEW: The legends are back. Bellevue community watch volunteers are fighting crime and stopping thieves at the QFC grocery store in Crossroads. Witnesses say two suspected drug addicts tried to take off with stolen items

Volunteers Stop Man from Stealing Nearly $200 in Meat from Grocery Store

Another One Busted Bellevue community watch volunteers busted another fella this week. Young man allegedly tried to getaway with expensive steaks. But he was caught red handed and just walked away. Many of these stolen items end up in Seattle’s black market in Chinatown-ID. Homeless drug addicts steal and sell this stuff for pennies on the dollar to fuel their fetty and meth habit. SAD SITUATION: The Bellevue community watch volunteers are doing an invaluable service by hunting down crooks who ransack local grocery stores. On many occasions, the stolen goods end up being sold for pennies on the dollar in Seattle so drug addicts can buy their next fix. But… https://t.co/g1Qf3lEsVt pic.twitter.com/2fphIQ7LNs— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) August 2, 2026