Independent journalist and Undivided podcast host Brandi Kruse told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that threats and harassment have become routine in covering Washington politics, and that one recent incident has now moved from online shock to formal criminal charges.
Kruse said she’s currently dealing with five open cases involving “assault… or threats, threats of harm, harassment, etc.,” and explained that while much of what she experiences stays private for security reasons, this case became public once prosecutors filed charges.
“You can’t just threaten someone’s life over political disagreements.”@BrandiKruse said she’s currently dealing with five open cases involving assault threats, harassment, and more. pic.twitter.com/34OY5Khc4k
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) December 3, 2025
“You can’t just threaten someone’s life over political disagreements.”
Kruse said the latest case stems from her public stance opposing boys competing in girls’ sports, which she says reliably triggers a spike in threats.
During the interview, she described a woman in Spokane who allegedly threatened to come to her home and harm her. “She has now been charged,” Kruse said, adding that she believes it’s important for people to see that political threats can carry consequences.
Hoffman responded that he’s relieved it’s being handled outside King County courts, arguing that Seattle-area systems too often fail to follow through even when cases are “handed over on a silver platter.”
Court filings: harassment charge, no-contact order, and a December pretrial date
According to an Issaquah Municipal Court docket, Debra Anne Yepez now faces a charge of harassment, a gross misdemeanor. The defendant entered a not-guilty plea, but the court also found probable cause and imposed release conditions, including “no contact with victim B. Kruse.”
🚨This woman threatened to come to my home and harm me because I don't want boys to play against girls. Now she faces a year in jail. I want to thank police and prosecutors for their quick action. Debra Yepez, of Spokane, also has another active case for threatening to beat up a… pic.twitter.com/XSQFhgO74P
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) December 2, 2025
A separate attached complaint screenshot tied to the same case number describes the allegation as a harassment offense and states the accused “knowingly threatened” bodily injury to “Brandi Kruse.”
Investigative narrative references TikTok videos and the prior Spokane incident
According to police, the defendant posted multiple TikTok videos which included statements about wanting to locate Kruse, drive to “mother*cking b*tch’s house,” and “whoop” the living sh*t out of your white ass.”
What's really horrible, besides threatening someone over a commonsense issue like protecting girls' spaces, is the fact that you can hear her small child in the background as she does it. I've also included some of the video of her threatening the other woman in Spokane. pic.twitter.com/OHjs2obCAA
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) December 2, 2025
Yepez is also facing charges in Spokane after allegedly harassing signers and signature gatherers for the Let’s Go Washington initiative petitions, which keep boys out of girls’ sports and restore parental rights in schools. Yepez said on video to the woman signing the initiatives that she would “slap you in front of your kids.”
“The rhetoric matters”: Kruse blames political messaging for inflaming threats
Kruse told Hoffman she believes rhetoric from mainstream political groups and campaign opponents is being “picked up by unhinged people” and used as justification for threats. She specifically pointed to messaging she attributes to the Washington Democratic Party, teachers’ unions, and opposition groups aligned against the Let’s Go Washington initiatives, saying the language used publicly can translate into real-world intimidation.
What happens next
With a not-guilty plea entered and a no-contact condition in place, the case now proceeds toward the scheduled pretrial hearing on 12/17/2025, where the court will typically address discovery status, motions, and trial readiness.
For Kruse, the broader point of discussing the case publicly was less about personal drama and more about drawing a line: she says political disagreement does not excuse threats — and she wants others in the public square (including petition-gatherers and activists) to know they can report intimidation and expect accountability.
