Shift Washington: Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.405(7) for making over-limit contribution to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, a caucus committee (EY 18; Sep 18)

Case

#41027

Respondent

Shift Washington

Complainant

Washington Senate Democratic Campaign

Description

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has completed its review of the two Complaints filed by Samantha Kersul on September 19, 2018, against Shift Washington, a political committee registered with the PDC (PDC Case 41027), and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, a caucus campaign committee (PDC Case 41028). The Complaints alleged that: (1) Shift Washington (SW) may have violated RCW 42.17A.405(7) by making an over-limit contribution to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC), a caucus committee subject to contribution limits; and (2) the SRCC may have violated RCW 42.17A.405(7)(14) by accepting an over-limit contribution from Shift Washington. 

In order to more efficiently use PDC resources, the two Complaints filed with the PDC have been combined into one letter. PDC staff reviewed the allegations listed in the complaint, statutes, rules, reporting requirements and contribution limits, and the Monetary Contributions reports (C-3 reports) and Summary Full Campaign Contribution and Expenditure reports (C-4 report) filed by both committees, and the responses from SW.

Although the in-kind contribution was inadvertently recorded on the SRCC’s C-4 report for March 2018 instead of the Leadership Council’s C-4 for the same reporting period, both committees made a good faith effort and expeditiously filed amended C-4 reports to correct the error as soon as they were notified. The amended C-4 reports filed by both committees corrected the filing error by making the necessary technical corrections. 

Based on the above, the PDC found no evidence of a material violation that would require conducting a more formal investigation into the two Complaints or pursuing enforcement action in these instances for either Shift Washington or the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. As such, the PDC has dismissed the Complaints against Shift Washington (PDC Case 41027) and SRCC (PDC Case 41028) in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1).

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

September 25, 2018

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.405

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