Today's Seattle Times reports that a group of government employee unions is paying $105,000 for a campaign of radio ads smearing David Irons.
The article buries the lede that a substantial portion of the donations were illegal:
Doug Ellis, spokesman for the state Public Disclosure Commission, said staff will look into the legality of two contributions reportedly made Oct. 18, after the cutoff for large donations. The United Food and Commercial Workers in Washington, D.C., gave $20,000 on that date, and the Washington State Council of County and City Employees gave $13,000, according to filings with PDC.If history is a guide, the PDC will look into these violations several weeks after the election and possibly impose symbolic fines, most of which will be suspended. To the Democrats and the government employee unions, the fines that they routinely pay for campaign finance violations are just another cost of protecting their franchise. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 29, 2005 03:33 PM | Email This
Did you hear that the latest Strategic Vision survey has Fraudoire's favorable rating at an underwhelming 36% and if the election were held again today - Rossi would receive 55% and the former AG would get 33% with 12 % undecided.
Come on leftist trolls - just waiting for you to defend the indefensible with your hollow moral relativism and conspiracy theories...
Posted by: KS on October 29, 2005 06:25 PM"According to commission staff reports, an independent PDC investigation revealed that Washington State Democrats failed to disclose individual contributor detailed information for $394,544 that was transferred from its federal account to its state non-exempt account. The PDC also asserts that the Democrats failed to disclose (in a timely manner) $704,815 in debts related to 2004 election expenditures"
...they get a cursory fine, then later try to negotiate that. If a Republican is suspected of even knowing about it and not stopping it, well, ask Mr. Delay.
Posted by: 4wb on October 30, 2005 12:01 PMHis chief of staff has been making campaign stops on his behalf, and Ron has been using his county owned car for campaign trips.
Also a PAC formed for one reason, to support his campaign, has been promoting a lie about Irons that Sims then uses in his ads as a way to make an unfounded claim against David.
They use 4 year old statements that "we need to have a discusion" as claim that he is ready to enact a plan that they site as his (even though his name is never once mentioned in the plan), and even point to his radio ad as "proof", an ad that does not reference anything about the "plan".
Ron Sims is a man that loves his job so much that he keeps running for every other job out there. Since he clearly does not want this job for anything but a springboard to a better one I say it's time to take that job away from him.
It is no surprise that the dirtiest name in King County Politics, a man that played the race card a year ago when it clearly didn't apply, would stoop to these tactics here.
Ron Sims is a complete embrassment to our county and MUST be sent home.
You can always tell when Ron Sims is lying...
HIS LIPS ARE MOVING!
Posted by: Andy Simon on October 30, 2005 12:32 PM"Law forbids use of public office or agency facilities to aid campaigns for candidates or ballot measures"
http://www.leg.wa.gov/RCW/index.cfm?section=42.17.130&fuseaction=section
Informational mailings during an election are restricted for similar reasons. Shouldn't an informational broadcast be restricted featuring a candidte for office during an election?
HOw about limiting candidate/ballot measure coverage 90 days before an election for govt. TV unless it is a debate with opposing views/candidates provided equal access and asked the same questions with the same amount of time to respond?
The citizen recourse I know of is to file a complaint with the PDC, www.pdc.wa.gov and to post the misuse of public agencies or offices to aid campaigns here on sound politics. The after election response of the PDC is ridiculous. They should make an effort to stop ongoing misuse of public agencies/offices during the election, when it really matters. Thank you to SoundPolitics for exposing the misuse of public resources for political advantage.
Posted by: Margaret on October 30, 2005 09:09 PM