Didier files lawsuit over alleged campaign ethics violation

RICHLAND - U.S. Fourth Congressional candidate Clint Didier filed a lawsuit in federal court last week accusing a Moses Lake-based volunteer from his opponent's campaign of using public resources, and asking that the alleged activities be stopped.

The volunteer, Chris Voigt, director of the Washington State Potato Commission, said Friday he stopped the activities when he discovered they might be violations of campaign ethics rules, according to an Associated Press article.

In a previous Columbia Basin Herald article, Voigt admitted to using his commission email for the campaign on his personal time and said he pays the commission for personal use of the vehicle.

He previously told the Associated Press he was within the terms of his contract and not violating state ethics laws.

The commission, which is overseen by the state Department of Agriculture, is a quasi-governmental agency that does not receive support funding from the state.

Didier claims those actions violate federal law and that he is filing the lawsuit to stop any further violations while the Washington Executive Ethics Board looks into the complaint, according to the Associated Press.

When the allegations surfaced, Voigt said Didier's camp was making a "mountain out of a molehill."

"For somebody who is campaigning against the wasteful use of tax dollars, that is exactly what he is doing with this frivolous lawsuit," Newhouse campaign spokesman Jim Keough said.

The state Executive Ethics Commission did not return phone calls requesting the status of the Didier's complaint.