Public Disclosure Commission Chair Allen Hayward to resign at end of January

Allen Hayward, chair of the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission since June, has announced his intention to resign from the Commission at the end of January, citing personal reasons. 

“I am incredibly proud of the work of the Public Disclosure Commission over the past four years,” Hayward said. “I’m confident that my fellow Commissioners will continue to build on the strategic goals we have set to improve timely public access to meaningful campaign data and to make it easier for filers to provide that information, through continuous technological innovation.” 

Hayward has been a member of the Public Disclosure Commission since October 2021. His term was set to expire at the end of 2025.

Hayward worked for more than 30 years as senior legal counsel for the Washington state House Republicans, until his retirement in 2013. In 1974, he wrote his senior thesis at Willamette University on Initiative 276, which established the Public Disclosure Commission.

Hayward presided over the Commission during a busy time. As chair, he oversaw a project to identify candidates owing mandatory pre-and post-election reports, remind them beforehand and notify them if the report was not submitted on time. The new project resulted in compliance rates for those reports of more than 90 percent for the 2024 primary and general elections. 

Hayward also praised the agency’s professional employees: “The agency’s staff do an excellent job prioritizing education, pursuing compliance with our campaign disclosure requirements, and providing easy access to show the public who gave, who got, and how much in Washington’s elections.”

Public Disclosure Commission members are appointed by the Governor. To apply for an open position, contact the Governor’s Office.