Former Councilman, Journalist Jim Compton Dies

Jim Compton, former NBC and KING 5 journalist who later served on the Seattle City Council, has died at 72.  In the 1990s he hosted the Compton Report, a look at news around the Seattle area and beyond, I remember his interview with Geraldo Rivera, at the time, a leader in what was known as "trash TV", Rivera was so angered by Compton's questioning that he was heard saying "what a punk", thinking that he was off the air. 
Compton was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1999, chairing a commission to review the beating death of an area resident during Seattle's Fat Tuesday celebration.  He was also a leader in getting wind farms established as a chair of the city council's utilities commission.
He did get tied, along with two fellow council members to the Strippergate scandal, which involved members of the council taking contributions from businessmen who were involved with a Seattle nightclub.  He was also fined  for riding to an NBA game on Paul Allen's jet. The Seattle PI's Joel Connally chided that the "cobra like Seattle elections and ethics commission--it will strike at anything--fined Compton $3000..."   Compton resigned from the council in 2006.