Public Disclosure Commission

711 Capital Way, Room 206 | Olympia, Washington 98504

Note: All times shown for consideration of agenda items (other than time of convening) are approximate and may vary, depending on the amount of discussion required for each.

9:30 AM - I. Citizen Comments/Concerns | Commissioner Comments/Concerns | Minutes

Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of January 22, 2015

Presenter - Chair Degginger

9:35 AM - IV. Enforcement

New Majority (Reagan Fund) PAC, Case No. 15-038 involving alleged violations of RCW 42.17A.305 by failing to timely file three Electioneering Communications C‑6 reports; RCW 42.17A.225, 42.17A.235, and 42.17A.240 by failing to provide, on a C-4 report of receipts and expenditures, the required information and detailed breakdown of independent expenditure activities; and RCW 42.17A.245 by failing to timely file a Monetary Contributions C-3 report by the required electronic method.

10:00 AM - V. Enforcement

Tom Albro, Port of Seattle, Case No. 14-006 involving an alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 by using and authorizing the use of Port of Seattle facilities to play four recorded audio messages featuring incumbent port commissioners TomAlbro, Stephanie Bowman, John Creighton, and Courtney Gregoire over the public address system at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport between April and October of 2013, and in so doing, assisting the commissioners’ campaigns for election or reelection in 2013.

John Creighton, Port of Seattle, Case No. 15-032 involving an alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 by using Port of Seattle facilities to play a recorded audio message featuring incumbent port commissioner John Creighton over the public address system at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport between May and October of 2013, and in so doing, assisting his campaign for election or reelection in 2013.

Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle, Case No. 15-033 involving an alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 by using Port of Seattle facilities to play a recorded audio message featuring incumbent port commissioner Courtney Gregoire over the public address system at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport between April and October of 2013, and in so doing, assisting her campaign for election or reelection in 2013.

Stephanie Bowman, Port of Seattle, Case No. 15-034 involving an alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555 by using Port of Seattle facilities to play a recorded audio message featuring incumbent port commissioner Stephanie Bowman over the public address system at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport between May and October of 2013, and in so doing, assisting her campaign for election or reelection in 2013.

Presenter - Chad Standifer, Asst. AG

3:05 PM - IX. Rulemaking

Rulemaking

Request for rulemaking regarding reporting of transfers of contributions received for one office to a campaign for a different office

Presenters - Lori Andreson

12:00 PM - Lunch
12:30 PM - VI. Enforcement (Continued)
  • Tom Albro, Port of Seattle, Case No. 14-006
  • John Creighton, Port of Seattle, Case No.15-032
  • Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle, Case No.15-033
  • Stephanie Bowman, Port of Seattle, Case No.15-034
2:30 PM - VII. Reporting Modifications

New

Kay Brown, Board Member, Pollution Control/Shorelines Hearings Boards

Gregory A. Tisdel, Candidate, Snohomish County Council

Renewals with no change

Michael Finkle, Judge, King/Snohomish County District Court - Northeast

Raymond Lawton, Member, WA St Student Achievement Council

David Wilson, School Director, Shoreline School District

2:45 PM - Break
2:55 PM - VIII. Legislative/Budget Report

Presenter - Andrea McNamara Doyle

3:25 PM - X. Executive Session

Discussion of pending and potential litigation with legal counsel. Possible action regarding pending litigation following the executive session.

4:05 PM - X. Disclosure of Independent Expenditure Political Advertising

Discussion of the different timeframes and reporting requirements applicable to candidates versus independent expenditure political advertising activity.

4:25 PM - XI. Staff Reports
  • Executive Director
  • Chief Information Technology Officer
  • Assistant Director; Communications and Outreach
  • Compliance and Enforcement

Presenters - Andrea McNamara Doyle; James Gutholm; Tony Perkins

Adjourn

The Commission may deliberate in closed session on any enforcement matter on this agenda, or any matters listed in RCW 42.30.140.

Meeting Summary

February 26, 2015, Volume 15 Issue No 2

Grant Degginger, Chair

Katrina Asay, Vice Chair

Amit Ranade, Secretary

John Bridges, Member

Anne Levinson, Member

Enforcement 

Staff summarized its charges alleging that New Majority (Reagan Fund) PAC failed to timely and electronically file reports that would have disclosed the committee’s spending in 2014 to influence the 45th LD state representative election.  The Commission accepted New Majority PAC’s stipulation, in lieu of conducting a hearing.  New Majority PAC stipulated to a $10,000 penalty, $6,500 suspended with terms, for its violations.

Charges alleging that Port of Seattle commissioners Tom Albro, John Creighton, Courtney Gregoire, and Stephanie Bowman used public facilities to assist a candidate’s election campaign were dismissed.

Rule Making

Senator Pam Roach requested the Commission add a check box to its form used to disclose contributions.  She explained how difficult it can be to determine if campaign contributions are new or transferred when a candidate has ended an active campaign in order to seek election to a different office and reports contributions to the new campaign.  A check would indicate that the money has been transferred from the discontinued campaign.  The Commission asked staff to assess the corresponding programming that would be necessary to update its electronic filing software and report to the Commission in March the impacts on planned IT projects.

Reporting Modifications 

Personal Financial Statement (F-1) reporting modifications were granted to:

Kay Brown, Member, Pollution Control/Shorelines Hearings Boards, from disclosing the University of Washington’s reportable business and government customers, which is a requirement resulting from her daughter’s appointment to the UW’s board of regents; and

Gregory Tisdel, candidate for Snohomish County Council, from disclosing business customers of Encore Cabinets, a copy for which Mr. Tisdel has a 19% ownership and serves as vice president.  The modification was granted after the Commission heard Mr. Tisdel’s concern that disclosing customers would create a serious competitive disadvantage for the business.

Reporting modifications were renewed for:

Michael Finkle, King/Snohomish County District Court Northeast judge,

Raymond Lawton, Student Achievement Council member, and

David Wilson, Shoreline School District director

The Commission meeting materials can be found at www.pdc.wa.gov under Commission Meetings. For additional information concerning these issues contact Lori Anderson, Communications & Training Officer, at (360) 664-2737, toll free 1-877-601-2828 or e-mail at landerson@pdc.wa.gov.

The next regular meeting of the Public Disclosure Commission is tentatively scheduled for March 26, 2015.

Meeting Minutes