Tim Eyman fined millions for campaign finance violations

February 11, 2021 / 11:41 am

caption: Anti-tax activist Tim Eyman poses for a photo with a sign from his original 1999 campaign for $30 car registration tabs, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, as he waved a sign for his current Initiative 976 on election day in Bellevue, Wash. The measure would again cut most car tabs to $30 in Washington state, if passed by voters, and would leave state and local governments scrambling to pay for road paving and other transportation projects.

Tim Eyman had his day in court, and he lost.

The anti-tax initiative promoter was accused getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in unreported kickbacks. And spending some of that money on himself.

Now, a judge has ruled Eyman will be forced to pay $2.6 million in penalties.

The lawsuit was brought by Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

In a statement, Ferguson said Eyman’s “day of reckoning” had arrived.

Former Supreme Court Judge Richard Sanders represented Eyman. In closing, he argued his client reported what was required by state law.

“It is unconstitutional to subject him to unconstitutionally onerous reporting requirements,” Sanders said.

But Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon disagreed.

Dixon also barred Eyman from financial control of political committees. It’s not clear yet what that will mean for future anti-tax initiatives in Washington state.

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David Hyde
Reporter

David’s people-focused politics coverage tracks local and national races. At KUOW, David has also reported for our Hearken Team answering listener questions,and covered a variety of other topics ranging from vaccine hesitancy to climate change.
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