Ashley Hiruko
Investigative Reporter
About
Ashley Hiruko reports on topics involving policing and the behind-the-scenes conduct of city leaders. Her investigations have examined police killings, allegations of abuse and sex trafficking, and labor issues.
She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and Maltese.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Past President, Western Washington Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
Stories
-
Monisha Harrell alleges a toxic work environment under uncle, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell
Monisha Harrell was the first Black lesbian senior deputy mayor in the City of Seattle’s history, and she also says that her tenure with the city was marred by bullying and sexism. Ashley Hiruko, KUOW's investigative reporter, broke the story.
-
Politics
Monisha Harrell breaks silence on her uncle – and former boss – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell
Monisha Harrell describes the mayor’s office as being a dog-eat-dog environment where white male advisors vied for power and influence. She said her experience, as a high-level woman ignored by the mayor and his lieutenants, is not unique at City Hall.
-
Politics
Woman says she was 8 months pregnant when Seattle Mayor Harrell pulled gun on her, leading to his 1996 arrest
Rose Sanchez may not remember every detail of the encounter between her family and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell from that late night in 1996. But there are details she told KUOW she’ll never forget, like when Harrell drove slowly past the group and pointed his silver pistol at them.
-
Politics
Seattle Mayor Harrell misled officer during 1996 arrest: police report unearthed
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell misled police in 1996 before being arrested at a riverboat casino in Iowa, a police report that surfaced this week alleges.
-
Seattle Mayor Harrell says he was racially profiled in 1996 firearm arrest
KUOW has uncovered a controversial period in the life of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell -- one that he's rarely discussed in public. In 1996, while at a casino in Iowa, Harrell brandished a gun in a late-night confrontation over a parking spot.
-
Politics
Firings and bad vibes hit PNW's federal workers
KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko joins Sound Politics Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann to discuss the potential impact of the firings, and what it’s like inside federal government buildings right now - from Seattle’s VA hospital to the National Labor Relations Board.
-
Politics
Seattle Mayor Harrell was arrested in 1996 for pulling gun during parking lot confrontation
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was arrested in 1996 for brandishing a pistol during a late-night confrontation at a casino in Iowa, according to documents from the time. This is the first time Seattle media have reported on the incident – and brought to light a two-year period of Harrell’s life that he doesn’t discuss publicly.
-
Government
'It's a terror campaign.' Federal workers in Seattle area describe snitching, secrecy under Trump
Federal workers in Seattle and across Washington state say they feel whiplash since Trump took office and issued a flurry of executive orders geared at cutting the federal government to “eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.” KUOW spoke with 15 employees across seven agencies, most of whom agreed to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of getting fired.
-
Government
King County joins lawsuit against Trump administration over sanctuary city orders
King County signed onto a new lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration in an attempt to shield sanctuary jurisdictions from federal threats and to prevent federal funding from being cut off.
-
Crime
Ex-Auburn cop gets nearly 17 years in prison for 2019 murder of Jessey Sarey
A former Seattle-area cop found guilty of murder was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison on Thursday. Jeffrey Nelson, 46, was convicted in June of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in the 2019 killing of 26-year-old Jesse Sarey.
