PDC fines Let's Go Washington $20K for campaign finance violations

(The Center Square) – Political action committee Let’s Go Washington, the organization behind several initiatives on the November ballot, was fined $20,000 – half suspended – by the Public Disclosure Commission for not reporting what signature-gathering firms paid to sub-vendors, as well as not producing documents to investigators in a timely manner.

Callie Castillo, legal counsel for Let’s Go Washington, summarized the findings of the PDC’s final order.

“The Commissioners found no violation for timely reporting or for purportedly keeping inaccurate books of account,” she emailed The Center Square.

She continued:  “They did find a violation for failing to follow through on reporting sub-vendor information and for not timely providing the books of account to the PDC when first requested. The total penalty is $20,000, with $10,000 suspended upon satisfactory compliance of additional requirements.”

Castillo explained that the $10,000 fine must be paid within 30 days, and Let’s Go Washington must determine whether sub-vendors were used by its contracted vendors.

“Let’s Go Washington committed four categories of violations,” said Chad Standifer, senior assistant attorney general, in his opening statement during an Oct 3 hearing before the PDC.

Standifer accused Let’s Go Washington of failing to accurately and timely report expenditures, failing to timely report the expenditures of sub-vendors, failing to timely report account books to PDC staff, and failing to preserve account books with respect to sub-vendor expenditures.

Let’s Go Washington Communications Director Hallie Balch told The Center Square the organization has always complied with PDC rules.

“We did everything we can to follow the law and be helpful to them with all the different kinds of deadlines and reporting,” said Balch, who claimed that PDC staff changed requirements after initial filings.

“Midway through one of the reporting deadlines, they said they believed we had sub-vendors, and they said we had to start reporting on all the sub-vendors,” said Balch, who has repeatedly stated Let’s Go Washington doesn’t use sub-vendors for signature gathering.

According to Let’s Go Washington, PDC staff based its charges on nothing more than double hearsay without any witness testimony or exhibits showing there was any sub-vendor information for Let’s Go Washington to report on.

Let’s Go Washington is responding based on what it says is the PDC staff’s “belief” standard.

“If the PDC wants to fine us or say we’re in violation of the law then most definitely these six organizations that we’ve identified are in violation of this new precedent,” Balch said, a reference to organizations opposed to Let’s Go Washington-sponsored ballot measures.

Those six organizations are: Defend Washington, No on 2109 Committee, Balance the Tax Code, Help our Kids Sponsored by Civic Ventures, Civic Alliance for a Prosperous Economy (CAPE), No Tax Cut for the Super Rich, and Commit to Change WA, which is sponsored by ACLU of Washington.

“We are the only ones repeatedly getting fined and receiving violations from the PDC when these ones are in violation,” Balch complained. “If we are, then they are certainly as well.”

She said Let’s Go Washington’s legal team filed complaints this week with the PDC against the six organizations.

“We’re just looking for some accountability here,” Balch said. “If the whole organization is being brought down, then everybody should be included in that.”

The Center Square reached out to Defend Washington and the No on I-2109 campaign for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Voters will decide three Let’s Go Washington-sponsored initiatives on Nov. 5 repealing the state’s capital gains tax, getting rid of the Climate Commitment Act and its carbon market, and adding an opt out provision when it comes to Washington’s new long-term care insurance program.