Washington state House majority leader apologizes for drinking on the job

February 26, 2026 / 4:04 pm

caption: House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Seattle, speaks during a response to Gov. Jay Inslee's State of the State address on the second day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash.

Washington state House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon is apologizing for consuming alcohol prior to completing his committee work in the legislature on Wednesday.

Video from Wednesday’s House Appropriations Committee meeting captured Fitzgibbon’s speech, which was slurred and halting during the discussion period.

In a statement shared with KUOW Thursday, the Seattle Democrat said he regretted and apologized "for the fact that I consumed alcohol before the work of the Appropriations Committee was completed on Wednesday" and that "the result was obvious."

"This was a serious mistake for many reasons," Fitzgibbon added. "Being impaired in that situation was harmful to my work and to my co-workers."

The Legislative Ethics Board did not immediately respond to KUOW's request for comment, including questions about whether Fitzgibbon will face any disciplinary action.

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Noel Gasca
General Assignment Reporter

Noel is a general assignment reporter for KUOW, covering everything from city hall to pickleball. Prior to joining the newsroom, Noel worked as a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Noel has also worked as an online editor and producer with KUOW’s web team, and she’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
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