Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors: Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.235 & .240 for failure to timely and accurately report contributions & expenditures. (Feb 2019)

Case

#46701

Respondent

Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors

Complainant

Glen Morgan

Description

This complaint alleged that Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors (the "Respondent" violated RCW 42.17A.235 & .240 by failing to timely & accurately report contributions & expenditures. PDC staff reviewed the allegations, statutes, rules and reporting requirements, and the Respondent's registrations, and found that it submitted its post-general C-4 report disclosing November, 2018 contribution & expenditure activities 30 days late. All other C-4 reports for 2018 were timely filed by the Respondent and the vast majority of the expenditures reported were for legal/compliance and accounting purposes, as opposed to electoral activity. The late-reported contributions & expenditures represented less than 1% of the Respondent's total contributions & expenditures for 2018. 

The Respondent made a good-faith effort to remedy its omission by filing the missing report for November on January 9, 2019. The Respondent indicated that it is a 2016 ballot committee so the financial activity disclosed on the late report did not pertain to an upcoming election or deprive the public of critical information. Based on the findings, PDC staff determined that, in this instance, failure to timely & accurately report contributions & expenditures for November, 2018 does not amount to an actual violation warranting further investigation. 

PDC staff reminded the Respondent about the importance of timely disclosing all contribution & expenditure activities and the timely filing of all future PDC reports, including the C-4 report. The PDC dismissed the matter and did not conduct a more formal investigation into the complaint or pursue further enforcement action in this case. 

Disposition

Case Closed with Reminder

Date Opened

February 07, 2019

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.235, RCW 42.17A.240

Documents

• 46701 Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors Complaint.pdf
• 46701 Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors Response.pdf
• 46701 Campaign to Prevent Fraud and Protect Seniors Reminder Letter.pdf