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Brian HeywoodLet's Go WashingtonPressWashington State

BRIAN HEYWOOD STATEMENT ON PDC RULING

By November 18, 2024No Comments

REDMOND, WA –

Today, the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) released its ruling proving that Let’s Go Washington (LGW) did not violate any filing requirements.

Let’s Go Washington founder, Brian Heywood, issued the following statement: 

“If you’re looking for accurate reporting information, you won’t find it in the PDC staff’s press release. But if you read the full Commission’s order, you will see that the PDC Commissioners affirmed that every dollar received and spent by LGW has been appropriately accounted for: 

  • ‘LGW timely filed as a single-election committee for the 2023 election’
  • ‘The Respondent has no prior PDC violations’
  • ‘LGW properly reported the allocation of its expenditures under RCW 42.17A.235 and .240, and WAC 390-16-037 under PDC rules in effect at the time of filing.’
  • ‘There was no violation for failure to allocate expenditures’
  • ‘LGW preserved its Books of Account and did not violate RCW 42.17A.235(8)’

There is no dispute that we filed all of our disclosures in accordance with the law. Today’s decision by the PDC has created a new precedent for the state indicating that if the PDC ‘feels’ that an organization should have evidence that its vendors used sub vendors, they can fine that organization $10,000 for not performing adequate “due diligence”. Even if the PDC has no evidence, and even if the organization testifies under oath they were not aware of any sub vendors, that organization is still fined $10,000.

Then, it’s up to the organization to provide evidence up to the PDC’s unidentified standard that the organization did not employ sub vendors, and even if the organization is able to do so, the organization is still fined $5,000. All because of the PDC staffs ‘feeling’ that such evidence should exist 

We are evaluating our options as to the PDC’s order.

Based on this new standard, we filed complaints with the PDC to investigate six organizations on the same grounds as LGW was investigated and expect PDC staff to respond before the election. If investigation of subvendors are of paramount importance, the same investigative standard should be applied to all organizations involved in the 2024 election. The PDC cannot establish an arbitrary standard regarding subvendors only for LGW.”  

PDC STAFF GASLIGHTING IN THEIR PRESS RELEASE:

  1. PDC staff never asked for full books of account until August, which we promptly turned over.
  2. We were fined for not disclosing sub vendors even though we had no knowledge of any use of sub vendors, and even if we again prove no sub vendors were used, we are still fined $5,000.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS LGW FILED COMPLAINTS AGAINST ACCORDING TO PDC’S NEW STANDARD: 

  1. Defend Washington (2024): Against all measures – did not break out expenditures by measure, no subvendors listed
  2. Commit to Change WA (Sponsored by ACLU of Washington) (2022): Ballot measure committee spent money collecting signatures, no subvendors
  3. No on 2109 (2024): Civic Ventures in kind support including staff, consultants, and communication consulting – no detail or vendors/subvendors provided
  4. Balance the Tax Code, Help our Kids Sponsored by Civic Ventures (2002): Civic Ventures inkinded legal and staff services without disclosing who did the work (law firm, staff/staffing company/individuals)
  5. No Tax Cut for the Super Rich (2022): Ballot measure committee opposing repeal of cap gains tax same as #4,  Civic Ventures inkinded legal and staff services without disclosing who did the work (law firm, staff/staffing company/individuals). $200K here.
  6. Civic Alliance for a Prosperous Economy (CAPE) (2019-222): Civic Ventures inkinded staffing, don’t know or whether it was a firm or whether there were subvendors.