Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery: Alleged violations of RCW 42.17A.260 and .305 for failure to timely and accurately report independent expenditures and electioneering communications (EY 20; Oct 20)

Case

#78841

Respondent

Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery

Complainant

Janet Thiessen

Description

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has completed its review of the complaint filed on October 15, 2020. The complaint alleged that Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery, a single year political committee registered and reporting campaign activities, including independent expenditures supporting local 2020 candidates, may have violated RCW 42.17A.260 for failure to timely and accurately report independent expenditures or RCW 42.17A.305 for failure to timely and accurately report electioneering communications within twenty-four (24) hours of presentation to the public. 

PDC staff reviewed the allegations; the applicable statutes, rules, and reporting requirements; the response provided by committee Director and Treasurer, Brent Ludeman on behalf of Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery (the “Respondent”); the applicable PDC reports filed by the Respondent; and queried the Respondent’s data in the PDC contribution and expenditure database, to determine whether the record supports a finding of one or more violations.

Based on staff’s review of the documentation submitted with the complaint, the written response provided, and the reports submitted by the Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery, no evidence was found to show that the Respondent sponsored written political advertisement to specifically oppose 2020 Pierce County Council candidate Jani Hitchen, or that the C-6 report disclosing the expenditure was inaccurate or filed late. 

Based on our findings staff has determined that, in this instance, no evidence supports a finding of a violation that warrants further investigation.

Based on this information, the PDC finds that no further action is warranted and has dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1).

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

October 23, 2020

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.260, RCW 42.17A.305

Documents

• 78841 Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery Complaint.pdf
• 78841 Pierce Co Job Creators for Economic Recovery Complaint Return.pdf
• 78841 Pierce County Job Creators for Economic Recovery Response.pdf