Norton, Erica: Alleged violation of WAC 390-16-105 by exceeding the $5,000 contribution and expenditure limits of the Mini Reporting option as a candidate on the 2021 general election ballot. (EY'21; October '21)

Case

#99831

Respondent

Erica Norton

Complainant

Martin Moore

Description

A complaint was filed against Erica Norton, a candidate for Federal Way City Council in 2021, alleging that her 2021 Campaign may have violated WAC 390-16-105 by exceeding the $5,000 contribution and expenditure limitations of the Mini Reporting option.

On July 12, 2021, Erica Norton filed a Candidate Registration (C-1 report) with the PDC declaring her candidacy in 2021 for Federal Way City Council, Position #2, selecting the Mini Reporting option, and listing Michael Norton as Treasurer. Since there were only two candidates that filed for Federal Way City Council, Position #2, Ms. Norton did not appear on the August 3, 2021 primary election ballot.

Under the Mini Reportion option, candidates and their authorized committees are prohibited from raising and spending more than $5,000 in the aggregate and may not receive more than $500 in contributions in the aggregate contributions from any one source “other than the candidate.”

Ms. Norton stated the Campaign has not exceeded the $5,000 Mini Reporting limits, either in total contributions received or total expenditures made. She provided copies of the Campaign books of account that included invoices and receipts and an expenditures spreadsheet verifying her Campaign had not exceeded the Mini Reporting limits. The spreadsheet included expenditures made by the Campaign between May 12, 2021, ($159 for the candidate filing fee) through October 17, 2021 ($7.62 to boost a Facebook Ad).

Ms. Norton stated that: (1) she designed her Campaign flyers on her laptop computer and she used the brochure templates provided by the vendor Vistaprint to create the flyers; (2) she purchased the yard signs for her Campaign from 55Printing.com, a printer out of Los Angeles, California, since they had offered the best prices; and (3) she designed her own yard signs.

The Campaign expenditures spreadsheet totaled $4,914.15 and listed 14 expenditures that included: (1) three expenditures made to Vistaprint totaling $485.25 to print “Campaign literature”; (2) a $1,460 expenditure made to One Spark Marketing on September 29, 2021 for a mailer; and (3) three expenditures made to 55Printing.com by the Campaign totaling $1,868.21 to print yard signs. Ms. Norton stated for her Campaign website she used WordPress to design her website which provided her with a variety of "themes to choose from and the purchaser simply fills in the fields.” The spreadsheet listed a $43.50 expenditure was made by the Campaign on June 6, 2021, to NameCheap for the “Campaign domain and WordPress site.” PDC staff reviewed information online about WordPress and found a basic 50 GB single website with standard features and a free domain name for year started at a special rate of $2.95 a month.

Concerning contributions received by her Campaign, Ms. Norton stated that she received less than $5,000 in total contributions and acknowledged receiving three $500 contributions. She stated that she also received one $250 contribution, one $100 contribution with the rest of the contributions received being between $20-$50 each. She added “I am not even close to my contribution limit.”

Ms. Norton stated “as a small business owner, I fully understand and live with the concept of
budgeting properly on a daily basis” and that she was aware of the Mini Reporting option limits and did not exceed them. She stated that “I don't have a campaign manager, I don't have a marketing consultant, I don't have an image consultant, I don't have a web designer, I don't have a treasurer, I don't have anyone to put up signs for me. These are all things I can do myself…” She stated that “sticking to a budget and being innovative with my marketing is what I've been doing over 11 years.”

Based on this information, PDC staff found no evidence of a violation and that no additional action or investigation is warranted. PDC staff has dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1).

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

October 20, 2021

Areas of Law

WAC 390-16-105