June 23, 2016

Judge Anne Levinson (ret.) of Seattle and Judge John Bridges (ret.) of Malaga were elected Chair and Vice-Chair of the Public Disclosure Commission, effective July 1. The Chair is chosen annually by fellow commissioners, and presides over commission meetings and enforcement matters.

"As Chair, I want to ensure the PDC continually works to provide timelier and more robust public access to campaign finance information, resolve complaints more quickly, and strengthen enforcement," stated Levinson.

Levinson was appointed to the Commission by Governor Inslee in December 2014 and has served as Vice-Chair since June 2015. A respected policy advisor, Commissioner Levinson also co-chairs Governor Inslee's Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families, provides independent review of Seattle's police accountability system, and advises courts on system reform. She formerly served as a municipal mental health court judge, as the Chair of the State's Utilities & Transportation Commission, and in several roles for the City of Seattle, including Legal Counsel, Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Mayor Norm Rice. Before joining the Commission, Levinson has chaired or advised a number of statewide ballot measure campaigns.

Commissioner Bridges retired from the judiciary in 2013 after serving 24 years on the Chelan County Superior Court bench and was appointed to the Commission in January 2015. During his time on the bench, Commissioner Bridges presided over several election cases and a wide range of trials.

The Public Disclosure Commission was created and empowered by voter-approved Initiative 276 to provide timely and meaningful public access to accurate information about the financing of political campaigns, lobbyist expenditures, and the financial affairs of public officials and candidates and to ensure compliance with and equitable enforcement of Washington's disclosure and campaign finance laws.