December 22, 2025

Public Disclosure Commission honors Jolene Unsoeld, a primary proponent of campaign finance law in Washington

During its Dec. 11 regular meeting, the Public Disclosure Commission voted to name its regular meeting space after Jolene Unsoeld, a former Washington Congresswoman in the state’s 3rd District. Unsoeld, who died in 2021, was a driving force behind the passage of Initiative 276 and the creation of the PDC in 1972.

Unsoeld’s sons Krag and Regon, former state representative and senator Karen Fraser and Unsoeld’s former congressional staffer and retired lobbyist Doug Levy spoke about her service to the state and I-276.

“It was an attempt to do away with the smoke-filled back rooms where the mostly guys were striking the deals,” said Krag Unsoeld. Both brothers recalled their mother working into the early morning hours on the initiative and other policy issues.  

Not only did Unsoeld help pass the law, she was a staunch supporter of the PDC in its infancy. She compiled the well-known “Who Gave, Who Got, How Much?” reports, making early PDC data – then available only on individual paper forms – accessible for voters, which PDC Deputy Director Kim Bradford called a “heroic effort.”

Levy called Unsoeld “the godmother of public disclosure,” and said advocating for open and transparent government was “a part of her DNA.”

The Commission also voted to authorize staff to develop a PDC internship for students in the Evergreen State College’s master’s degree program in public administration.  

“I’ve thought about this a lot in terms of how you honor someone like that,” Regon said. “Mom was really about working with young people, inspiring them to pursue a path of public service. The idea of an internship … would expose young students to the story, and perhaps impart some of the inspiration and determination to do what is in the public’s best interest.”

Commission approves meeting schedule for 2026, note concerns on quorum

The Public Disclosure Commission approved proposed dates for regular meetings throughout 2026 during its Dec. 11 meeting.  

Commissioners noted concerns that the current board, down to three members from its standard five due to the resignation of former chair Allen Hayward and the end of Commissioner Nancy Isserlis’ term earlier this year, may not be able to make quorum.  

The vacancies mean that the Commission is unable to take action if a single commissioner is absent.  

Members of the Commission are appointed by the governor. Chair J Leach urged the governor to take action quickly to appoint new members.  

PDC-requested legislation to update pre-election reporting live in the state Senate

Legislation requested by the Public Disclosure Commission designed to simplify pre-election expenditure reporting and increase transparency for voters has been introduced in the 2026 legislative session as Senate Bill 5840.  

The bill is sponsored by Sens. Jeff Wilson and Javier Valdez, the ranking Republican and Democrat chair of the Senate’s State Government, Tribal Affairs and Elections Committee.  

The PDC proposed that all candidates and PACs would file expenditure reports (C-4) by the 10th of each month, reporting on the previous month’s activity, regardless of the amount of that activity. From July to October, those campaigns would be required to file an additional C-4 on the 25th of each month.

All registered PACs would be required to submit a “statement of participation” each January if they are planning to participate in any election in that year.  

Campaigns would also have 48 hours from the closing of the reporting period to the filing of the report to prepare reports for the additional pre-election reports.  

The agency is also watching potential legislative action regarding protecting addresses of officials. Officials and candidates report their Washington state real estate holdings as part of the PDC’s annual personal financial affairs statements. However, Chair J Leach noted that google searches often produce a person’s address from a variety of different sources.  

“This may be a solution that doesn’t cure the problem,” he said.

The Legislature may also take a look at the state’s prohibition on political contributions from foreign nationals.  

Commission receives briefing on mini-reporting candidates, committees

In 2025, a local election year, 45 percent of campaigns registered as mini-reporting.  

Candidates and committees are eligible to choose the mini-reporting option when filing their campaign registrations with the PDC if they plan to raise and spend no more than $7,000 and to accept no more than $500 from any individual contributor.  

A campaign can switch from full- to mini-reporting at any time, as long as they’ve met those conditions. However, to switch from mini- to full-reporting, a campaign must request the change through PDC staff, complete reports for all past financial activity, and obtain approval from the Executive Director by a deadline, set before each election. Campaigns may not begin fundraising or spending past the threshold until the change is approved.  

PDC filer assistance staff handle mini- to full- applications and walk campaigns through the process of filing back reports, Customer Service Manager Nate Meyer told the Commission on Dec. 11.  

Each request takes an average of three hours to process, Meyer said. In 2025, staff processed 69 requests out of a total 1,550 mini-reporters.

While the mini-reporting option is convenient for small campaigns, some raise concerns that it results in a lack of transparency in local races. Executive Director Peter Frey Lavallee noted that in a very small jurisdiction, $7,000 can go a long way. On the other hand, as noted by Chair J Leach, forcing small campaigns to be full-reporters may discourage some applicants for local races.  

PDC rule changes in effect as of Jan. 1

The Commission approved changes to rules Dec. 11 that will take effect on Jan. 1.  

In the first, the PDC will use the expedited rulemaking process to update references in the PDC’s rules, WAC 390, to reflect the recodification of campaign disclosure law from RCW 42.17A to RCW 29B.  

The state Legislature approved the recodification in 2024. The change is effective Jan. 1.  

Agency staff is currently working to update references to the code in its website, electronic filing systems and printed materials.  

The Commission also approved proposed rules regarding ballot propositions on slate cards, and set a public hearing on the rules for Feb. 12.  

A slate card is a list of three or more candidates endorsed by the sponsor of the card. The new rules allow a slate card to also indicate the sponsor’s support or opposition to ballot propositions. If the card follows these rules, it does not count toward contribution limits to a candidate or committee.  

The PDC has extending the temporary rules while working through the permanent rulemaking process.  

Enforcement update

As of Dec. 2, the PDC had 241 open cases, including 126 in the assessment of facts stage, 107 under formal investigation and eight pending closure. Between Oct. 6 and Dec. 2, 63 cases were closed, including 22 reminders, 22 warnings, 10 closed with no evidence of a violation, four statements of understanding, two technical corrections and one dismissed by the Executive Director.  

Watch the Dec. 11 Public Disclosure Commission meeting here.