Puyallup School District: Alleged Violation of RCW 42.17A.555 by using public facilities to process employee contributions to the WEA-PAC and the NEA-FCPE. (June 2018)

Case

#37218

Respondent

Tim Yeomans

Complainant

Freedom Foundation (Maxford Nelsen)

Description

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has completed its review of the complaint filed by Maxford Nelson on June 20, 2018 and the additional information provided on August 22, 2018. The complaint alleged that the Puyallup School District may have violated RCW 42.17A.555 by using school district facilities to process district employee voluntarily withheld payroll deductions, which were designated by the employee as contributions for theWashington Education Association's Political Action Committee (WEA-PAC), a political committee registered with the PDC, and the National Education Association Fund for Children and Education (NEA-FCPE).

PDC staff reviewed the allegations listed in the complaint, PDC statutes, rules, and PDC Interpretation #01-03, and the July 17, 2018 response from Charles W. Lind, an attorney with Patterson, Buchanan, Fobes & Leitch, Inc. on behalf of the client Puyallup School District.

The Puyallup School District processes employee payroll deductions and other employee voluntary withholdings as part of the "normal and regular conduct" of the school district. No evidence was found that the district provided any preferential treatment concerning district employee's withholding of funds designated for the WEA-PAC and NEA-FCPE, and any other district employee withholdings for charitable contributions, deferred compensation, etc.

Staff has determined that in this instance, no evidence supports a finding of a material violation warranting further investigation. The PDC has closed the matter, and will not be conducting a more formal investigation into the complaint or pursuing further enforcement action in this case.

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

June 26, 2018

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.555