OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Washington State Republican Party is facing fines related to a series of campaign finance violations.
The state’s Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) issued a $5000 fine to the party on Tuesday, Oct. 29, following an investigation.
The PDC found that a mass text message sent to voters ahead of the 2023 November election did not indicate that it was sponsored by the state Republican Party. Payments related to those texts were also reported to the PDC well after the election concluded.
In another instance, the state GOP party made a $100,000 donation to the Let’s Go Washington political action committee (PAC) from a bank account with strict usage limits.
Issues regarding over $106,000 of anonymous donations led to the fourth and final violation.
Political parties cannot accept anonymous donations over $500 or 1% of the total amount of contributions already received. They’re also required to disclose who the anonymous donors are if they know who contributed, regardless of how much money was donated.
The state GOP party can amend $1000 of the total fine by meeting certain financial conditions and remaining compliant with other PDC guidelines. In the case of the PAC donation, the GOP party would have to transfer an equivalent amount from an eligible campaign account to make things right.
The result of the PDC investigation comes three weeks after the Let’s Go Washington PAC was also fined $20,000 for violating campaign finance rules.
