Port of Tacoma - Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 using public facilities to oppose a ballot proposition; RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240 unreported PAC activities (June 2016) | Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC)

Case

#6626

Respondent

Port of Tacoma

Complainant

Arthur West

Description

The complaint is a 45-Day Citizen Action Complaint filed by Arthur West, alleging that officials of the Port of Tacoma may have violated RCW 42.17A.555 by using public facilities to oppose Tacoma Citizen's Initiatives 5 and 6, and that the Port of Tacoma, the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber may have violated RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240 by failing to register and report individually, and as a group, as political committees, their legal expenditures to oppose Tacoma Citizen's Initiatives 5 and 6.

Note: The Commission unanimously adopted a motion to return this matter to the Attorney General with no recommendation for legal action, both concerning the two alleged violations that were set out in the Complaint, and the separate additional potential violation that was raised in the staff report.

Disposition

Referred to Attorney General by Commission

Date Opened

July 14, 2016

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.205, RCW 42.17A.235, RCW 42.17A.240, RCW 42.17A.555

Port of Tacoma - Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 using public facilities to oppose a ballot proposition; RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240 unreported PAC activities (June 2016)