A Better Richland: Alleged violations of RCW 42.17A.235, .240 & .320 for failure to timely & accurately file expenditure reports; & failure to include sponsor identification on website (EY24-25; APR25)

Case

#170577

Respondent

ABetterRichland

Complainant

Conner Edwards

Description

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) completed its review of the complaint filed by Conner Edwards on April 7, 2025. The complaint alleged violations of RCW 42.17A.235, and .240 for failure to timely and accurately file contributions and expenditure reports in the 2024 and 2025 election years and RCW 42.17A.320 for failure to include sponsor identification on A Better Richland’s website.

Applicable Laws and Rules

· RCW 42.17A.235 requires each treasurer of a candidate or political committee, or an incidental committee, to file with commission a report of all contributions received, and expenditures made as a political committee on the next reporting date pursuant to the timeline established in the statute.

· RCW 42.17A.240 requires each treasurer of a candidate or political committee, or an incidental committee, to file with the commission a report including/depicting the name and address of each person who has made one or more contributions during the period, together with the money value and date of contribution and the aggregate value of all contributions received from each person during the campaign, or in the case of a continuing political committee, the current calendar year.

· RCW 42.17A.320 requires that committee websites include the Top 5 contributors and sponsor identification information/language required by the statute.

Background and Findings

· The complaint alleged that A Better Richland (officially registered with the PDC as “Abetterrichland”) (The Committee), a continuing committee, failed to timely and accurately file contributions and expenditures reports in the 2024 and 2025 election years, including the failure to include a list of Top 5 donors to The Committee.

· Staff noted that The Committee failed to timely and accurately file the February 2025 C-4 report that was due no later than March 10, 2025. The February 2025 C-4 report was filed 28 days late on April 7, 2025. Additionally, the staff reviewed the allegation regarding the $5,700 in-kind contribution for legal services fee as a possible debt that should have been reported earlier and found no evidence to support it.

· For the allegation(s) pertaining to election year 2024, the staff reviewed the allegation regarding the lack of and/or inadequate expenditure detail/descriptions and noted that there were some expenditures and/or in-kind contributions made by The Committee for which a more detailed description of the vendor and subvendor should have been provided. For example, The Committee failed to include the address and names of certain subvendors. The Committee also failed to fully describe/include the complete run dates and breakdown of political ads placed/aired at local stations, such as the payment to Town Square Media for $1,100 on September 9, 2024, and the quantity of fliers and postcards printed for the expenditure made to Minuteman Press for $4,362.95 on September 10, 2024.

· Lastly, regarding the allegation related to The Committee’s website not containing a list of the Top 5 contributors to The Committee, the staff noted that The Committee failed to include the Top 5 contributors required by the statutory scheme. The staff also noted that The Committee’s website failed to include the required sponsor identification language “Paid for by” or “Sponsored by,” including the address of the committee/sponsor.

· On July 16, 2025, The Committee amended the pertinent C-4 report(s) at issue in this matter to better depict the expenditures made by The Committee in 2024. Additionally, on or about September 8, 2025, The Committee also added the Top 5 contributors and the “Paid for by” or “Sponsored by” language on its website.

Summary and Resolution

Based on our findings, the staff has determined that, in this instance, the failure to timely and accurately file the C-4 reports at issue in the matter and to list Top 5 contributors on The Committee’s website do not amount to violations that warrant further investigation.

Pursuant to WAC 390-37-060(1)(d), however, The Committee is receiving a formal written warning concerning the failure to file timely and accurate C-4 reports and for the failure to include the Top 5 contributors/sponsor identification language on The Committee’s website. The PDC staff expects The Committee to file timely and accurate C-4 reports and maintain a list of Top 5 contributors/sponsor identification language on its website in the future. The Commission will consider the formal written warning in deciding on further Commission action if there are future violations of PDC laws or rules.

Any allegations regarding reporting by The Committee for the 2024 election year and the 2025 primary election cycle that are not otherwise addressed are hereby dismissed.

Accordingly, the PDC dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1).

Disposition

Case Closed with Written Warning

Date Opened

April 16, 2025

Areas of Law*

RCW 29B.25.090/42.17A.235, RCW 29B.25.100/42.17A.240, RCW 29B.30.050/42.17A.320

*On January 1, 2026, RCW 42.17A was recodified to RCW 29B