SPOKANE, Wash. – Semi Bird was accused of failing to disclose a 1993 misdemeanor conviction during the Washington GOP convention, leading to a contentious party endorsement process. It isn’t the first time Bird’s past legal entanglements have created controversy.
Bird was court-martialed while serving as a Marine in 1984 after hitting a fellow officer who allegedly called him a racial slur. He was briefly demoted before being honorably discharged in 1985.
Bird told the Tri-Cities Observer that he was not the person who was court-martialed, but rather another person with the same name, in May 2022 while serving on the Richland School Board.
He later admitted that he was briefly reduced in rank for assaulting a fellow officer. He was eventually recalled by voters.
The Washington State Republican Party Convention saw a second case of Bird being accused of failing to disclose his legal past.
Bird pleaded guilty to misdemeanor bank larceny in 1993 according to the Seattle Times. He purportedly did not share that information with the convention’s Candidates Committee and a proposal to disqualify him from endorsement was considered before ultimately failing to gain traction.
The Republican candidate for governor now moves toward the August primaries with the endorsement of the state GOP.
