Gov. Jay Inslee and leaders of both parties in the Washington Legislature are calling on longtime Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler to resign, after he fired a top aide who had complained that Kreidler bullied him, used crass language and was “antagonizing staff.”

Inslee, in a prepared statement Friday said that recent events demonstrate Kreidler is “unable to fulfill his leadership responsibility.”

“Commissioner Kreidler assured his employees and the public he would work to improve his relationship with staff, but instead he terminated an employee who spoke out about these issues,” Inslee said. “All staff deserve respect regardless of their at-will status. Therefore it’s my belief we need different leadership in this position and I believe he should resign.”

The majority and minority leaders in both the House and the Senate have all called for Kreidler to step down. So did the chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. Kreidler, a Democrat, said Friday through a spokesperson that he has no plans of resigning.

State Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said Thursday he’d had “serious concerns” about Kreidler, 78, after reports from The Seattle Times and Northwest News Network, about Kreidler’s behavior.

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“Now that he’s decided to fire the employee who had the courage to come forward in the first place, it’s become clear that...

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