Louthan, Janice: Alleged Violation of RCW 42.17A.320 failure to disclose party preference status in radio ads and failure to disclose sponsor identification. (NOV 2018)

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has completed its review of the complaint filed by Jonathan Dilley on November 2, 2018. The complaint alleged that Janice Louthan, a first-time candidate seeking the office of County Clerk for Grays Harbor County, may have violated RCW 42.17A.320 for failure to disclose party preference and sponsor identification in radio advertisements. 

PDC staff reviewed the allegations, the statutes and rules, the response from Janice Louthan, and a letter provided by the General Manager of Jodesha Broadcasting. 

Based on our findings and the following facts, staff has determined that in this instance, the failure to disclose political party preference and sponsor identification does not amount to a material violation warranting further investigation since: (1) Janice Louthan was a first-time candidate for public office in 2018; (2) The Campaign substantially met all other reporting requirements during the previous 12-month period. (3) The broadcasting station that was responsible for the ads acknowledged that the mistake occurred within their production department and not by the Campaign. (4) Janice Louthan is a candidate that lost the election and the radio ads did not materially impact the public interest.
 

Based on this information, the PDC has dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1), and will not be conducting a more formal investigation into your complaint or pursuing further enforcement action in this case.