| There was some hypocrisy surrounding the recent findings by the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) that the Washington Education Association (WEA) and tax rebel Tim Eyman had both violated campaign finance laws.
In the WEA case, PDC investigators discovered that the teachers union had once again misused union dues for political purposes. In the Eyman case, PDC investigators found that Eyman illegally used campaign funds to pay himself.
The PDC recommended that the Attorney General file charges against Eyman. The AG eagerly complied – too eagerly, perhaps. The AG agreed to file a lawsuit even before reviewing the PDC’s investigation file on Eyman.
Meanwhile, the PDC recommended that the AG negotiate with WEA in an attempt to reach a settlement for a substantial penalty. But if negotiations fail, the PDC said “the AG should withdraw because going to court (against the union) would be too costly.”
So WEA-an organization which has regularly violated campaign laws and paid more fines than anyone – gets to negotiate. (By the say, if you were WEA’s attorney and you knew the AG would never file a lawsuit, would you settle for a “substantial penalty?”) Eyman on the other hand, goes to court and no one at the PDC even mentions the cost.
Daniel Kennedy
Poulsbo. | 
