Initiative backer Let’s Go Washington fined $20,000 for campaign finance violations

Washington officials handed down thousands of dollars in fines Wednesday against the group backing a slate of ballot measures. But it has no bearing on the measures themselves — the initiatives will remain on the ballot, and voting starts next week.

A formal complaint filed with the Public Disclosure Commission says that the group, Let’s Go Washington, did not adequately report how vendors it contracted with spent money on signature-gathering efforts to put the measures on the ballot. The measures aim to roll back or repeal some of the state’s latest major climate, tax, and health policies.

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The complaint specifically says the group did not properly keep or produce records about possible sub vendors hired by signature-gathering firms, and did not provide detailed information to staff quickly enough after those requests were made.

Let’s Go Washington defended itself at a hearing over the issue last week, with attorney Callie Castillo calling the charges an “overreach.” The group has also said it was not made aware of or given information about whether sub vendors were used by firms they worked with.

The attorney representing PDC staff said Let’s Go Washington did not do its due diligence to track how money from the group was being spent by vendors it contracted with to support the various initiatives.

After taking days to come to a final decision, PDC officials have found Let’s Go Washington responsible for two of the four violations it was accused of, slapping the group with $20,000 in fines.

“Failing to ask or failing to follow up on a contractor’s non-response or refusal to provide the information is insufficient,” part of the decision read. “If this were the standard, any committee could simply ignore the issue and argue it has no knowledge of its contractor’s actions and nothing to report.”

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The fines could be reduced if Let’s Go Washington pays $10,000 within 30 days, doesn’t commit any future violations, and reports more information to the commission about whether sub vendors were used.

Let’s Go Washington founder Brian Heywood said in a statement that the decision sets “a new precedent” for campaign finance reporting.

“If the PDC ‘feels’ that an organization should have evidence that its vendors used sub vendors, they can fine that organization,” the statement read. “We are evaluating our options as to the PDC’s order.”

Heywood said Let’s Go Washington has filed complaints against a handful of other organizations it believes have committed similar violations.