I have been receiving several emails from folks around the county asking if I know anything about the possible campaign finance violations hinted at in a recent article in the Seattle Times. I wish I did but as of yet no complaints have been filed with the PDC in regards to Mr. Jason Bennett serving as treasurer for both the Dow Constantine campaign and for an independent expenditures campaign against Susan Hutchison. If find that such a complaint is filed I promise SoundPolitics readers will be the first to know.
UPDATE: It seems the interest in Keith Ervin's article has reached fever pitch enough that someone actually filed a formal complaint against Dow Constantine's campaign with the PDC (and, no, it wasn't me).
The PDC has told me they will post the complaint up on their website if and when they decide to open a formal investigation (within a day or two).
The biggest newspaper in the state publishes an article on a MAJOR campaign violation and the PDC doesn't do ANYTHING?
Don't they read the Times? Maybe that explains the layoffs!
I tried Googling this and didn't see a follow-up from Ervin, either. Maybe its worth a call to ask him why - Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com
Posted by: TimesReader on September 23, 2009 12:56 PMFollow the trail. You would be surprised (or perhaps not so suprised) where it leads back to.
Posted by: James on September 23, 2009 01:00 PMFollow the trail. You would be surprised (or perhaps not so suprised) where it leads back to.
Posted by: James on September 23, 2009 01:01 PMI believe Gregoire has endorsed Constantine. Sure these folks were all over a challenger to Governor and made sure he had to appear at a deposition in the final week of the campaign, but that's the way the Democrats roll here in Washington State and King County. On the other hand maybe Keith Ervin was lying.
Posted by: Smokie on September 23, 2009 03:17 PMBut there's records.
Look at how Acorn has taken tax payers money. But at least Acorn isn't connected with al Quada.
Our tax money is going to help people who want to destroy us. We are paying for our own demise.
Follow the money.
There are a number of Democratic campaigns this cycle who are using an online product called CompleteCampaigns.
My understanding is that this is being provided through Jason's firm.
So is this just a case of his name, as a head of the firm, being listed as the Treasurer on a number of different campaigns?
If that's the case, it may actually still be a technical violation of the laws... but it's not exactly a scandal.
The spirit of the law is that actual persons with knowledge cannot work on both sides of a campaign and an independent expenditure.
Again, is it possible that Jason is not actually involved in any meetings/strategy, or even the actual person filling out or submitting PDC reports?
Posted by: Mickymse on September 24, 2009 02:43 PMThe Argo letter that Toby Nixon posted above says that Lisa MacLean Collins of Moxie Media, Inc. is the authorizer of the FAIRPAC committee's expenditures, not him.
The RedCounty.com post says:
Another consulting firm, located in Seattle, called Moxie Media, Inc. was hired for attack ads against Ross Hunter (Dow Constantine's opponent in the primary) by a group calling itself "Working Families Coalition." This "independent" group, financed by several state and local unions, paid $14,565 to Moxie Media to send out direct mailings attacking Hunter.
According to reports on the PDC site, Moxie Media shares the same address with Northwest Passage Consulting...Dow Constantine's consultant...reports also show FAIRPAC paid Moxie Media to do mailings against Susan Hutchison...According to Slog, the merger took place in 2007/8.
Mr. Bennett, by trying to cover his own rear, may have just (inadvertently) confirmed illegal coordination.