Candidate spending in the 45th Legislative District race that will determine control of the state Senate has set records, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Public Disclosure Commission, the state’s campaign-finance watchdog.

Expenditures by the Manka Dhingra and Jinyoung Lee Englund campaigns together total nearly $2.4 million, far surpassing the prior record for spending in a Washington state Senate race. 

A GOP-led coalition now has a one-seat majority in the state Senate. A win by Englund would maintain the majority while a Dhingra victory would put Democrats in charge.

The prior campaign spending record for a state Senate race also was set in the 45th District by the 2014 contest between the late Sen. Andy Hill, R-Redmond, and Democratic challenger Matt Isenhower. Expenditures in that race totaled $1.49 million.

The Public Disclosure Commission welcomes today’s news that Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon rejected a motion to dismiss two defendants from Washington state’s lawsuit alleging multiple campaign-finance violations against Tim Eyman and associates.
 
As Commission Chair Anne Levinson said when the lawsuit was announced, “Our state’s campaign finance and disclosure laws are premised on the principle that the public deserves to know who is funding political campaigns, who is spending money to influence their vote. Mr. Eyman has an obligation to obey the law. When he, or others, do not, the Public Disclosure Commission and the Attorney General have an obligation on behalf of the public to take all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of our electoral system.”
 

A Public Disclosure Commission staff investigation led to a $454,000 lawsuit filed today by the Attorney General's office.

The lawsuit alleges that former Grant County Superior Court judge Jerry Moberg and Moses Lake business owner Ken Greene intentionally concealed the fact that they were behind a mailer that targeted a candidate in the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney's 2014 race.

The mailer criticized Garth Dano, a criminal defense attorney who was challenging the incumbent prosecutor. It alleged Dano had “displayed a pattern of disregarding the simplest of laws and adult responsibility,” and urged voters to support the incumbent, Angus Lee.

The 2017 regular session freeze period ends Sunday, April 23, at 11:59 p.m. Gov. Jay Inslee has announced he will convene a special session of the Legislature beginning Monday, April 24, triggering a new fundraising freeze at 12:01 a.m. that day until the end of the special session. During a freeze, a legislator or state executive office holder may not solicit or accept campaigns contributions:

Good morning. I’m Anne Levinson, Chair of the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. The PDC is the state agency responsible for overseeing and enforcing our state’s campaign finance and disclosure laws. I want to thank the Attorney General for taking the action that he has announced here today.

Governor Inslee announces appointment of David Ammons to PDC

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of David Ammons to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Ammons, who resides in Olympia, was the longest-serving capitol reporter in state history, much of it as president of the press corps.

Ammons was a reporter, columnist and editor for The Associated Press from 1970-2008, covering Washington state government and politics, and breaking news for AP member newspapers and TV and radio stations. He also served as analyst for TV and radio and wrote a statewide column, “Ammons on Politics.” From 2003-2008 he was the on-air host of TVW’s weekly hour-long interview show with Washington newsmakers, “Inside Olympia.”

In 2014, the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) found the Food Democracy Action! (FDA) and Food Democracy Action! Yes on I-522 (FDA-WA State PAC) had committed multiple apparent violations of RCW 42.17A and referred the matter to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for appropriate action.

November 21, 2016, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor ruled that as a result of their violations of state campaign finance disclosure laws, Food Democracy Action! (FDA) must pay a $319,281 penalty (for concealment and late reporting), $2,895.16 in investigation costs, plus attorney fees and trial costs to be determined separately.