Maria Gloria Mendoza: Alleged violations RCW 42.17A.235, .240 & .320 for failure to timely & accurately disclose expenditures on reports & for failure to failure to provide sponsor identification on political advertising (EY24, JUN24)

Case

#156095

Respondent

Maria Gloria Mendoza

Complainant

Ray Shafer

Description

PDC staff reviewed the allegations; the applicable statutes, rules, and reporting requirements; the response(s) provided by the Respondent; and other relevant information, to determine whether the record supports a finding of one or more violations.

Based on staff’s review, we found the following:

  • Maria Gloria Mendoza, a candidate in election 2024 for State Representative, filed a candidacy registration with the PDC on May 15, 2024, for the Full Reporting option.
  • Per RCW 42.17A.235 and .240, under the Full Reporting option, a committee is required to disclose contribution and expenditure information by submitting Receipts and Expenditure Summary (C-4) reports and Cash Receipts, Monetary Contributions (C-3) reports to the PDC.  The Committee’s due dates for the C-3 and C-4 reports are determined by its activity and participation in the election cycle. 
    • The amended C-4 report, #110222440, provided as evidence for late reporting was submitted to the PDC on June 12, 2024, and amended a prior report that was submitted timely.  The amended report added USPS services of $154 to expenditures and was reported as an in-kind contribution from the candidate.  In this instance, amendments are insufficient evidence of late reporting. There are many reasons a committee might amend their reports and the mere presence of an amendment is not itself conclusive evidence of a violation. As well, the public was not deprived of critical information prior to the election.
  • RCW 42.17A.320 states, “all written political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor’s name and address.”  The statute exempts yard signs, if the signs were printed before June 6, 2024, and other forms of political advertising where sponsor identification is impractical.
    • Upon review of the photos provided as evidence, there is a date stamp on the yard sign showing a print date of May 31, 2024.  The yards signs are exempt from the sponsor identification requirement.
  • The Respondent does not have other similar warnings or violations of PDC requirements.

Based on our findings, the evidence does not support a violation of RCW 42.17A.235 and .240 for failing to timely and accurately disclose an expenditure on a Receipts and Expenditure Summary (C-4) report or for RCW 42.17A.320 by failing to provide sponsor identification on political advertising during the 2024 election.

The PDC finds that no further action is necessary and has dismissed this matter per RCW 42.17A.755(1) and WAC 390-37-060(1)(a).

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

July 02, 2024

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.235, RCW 42.17A.240, RCW 42.17A.320

Documents

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