Port of Tacoma (1) - Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555, using public facilities to oppose a ballot proposition; RCW 42.17A.255, unreported independent expenditures; and RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240, unreported PAC activities (December 2016) | Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC)

Case

#11701

Respondent

Port of Tacoma (John Wolfe, Don Johnson, Connie Bacon, John Marzano, Don Meyer, and Clare Petrich)

Complainant

Arthur West

Description

The complaint is a 45-Day Citizen Action Complaint filed by Arthur West, alleging that the Port of Tacoma (including John Wolfe, CEO, and Commissioners Don Johnson, Connie Bacon, Dick Marzano, Don Meyer, and Clare Petrich) violated RCW 42.17A.555 by using the Port's facilities to oppose Tacoma Citizen's Initiatives 5 and 6. The complaint alleges that these Port officials engaged in a previously unknown media communications and public relations "Campaign" that was in addition to and separate from a lawsuit initiated by the Port, the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber on June 6, 2016 to request a declaratory judgment in Pierce County Superior Court to determine whether the two initiatives exceeded the scope of local initiative power.

The complaint also alleged that Port officials , the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber violated RCW 42.17A.255 by failing to report these media communications and public relations "Campaign" expenditures as Independent Expenditures on PDC form C-6, and RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240 by failing to register and report these expenditures as a political committee.

Disposition

Dismissed by Commission

Date Opened

January 05, 2017

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.205, RCW 42.17A.235, RCW 42.17A.240, RCW 42.17A.255, RCW 42.17A.555

Port of Tacoma (1) - Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.555, using public facilities to oppose a ballot proposition; RCW 42.17A.255, unreported independent expenditures; and RCW 42.17A.205, .235, and .240, unreported PAC activities (December 2016)