Chelsea Dimas: Alleged violations of RCW 42.17A.235, .240, and .205 for late filed Cash Receipts, Monetary Contributions (C-3) and Receipts & Expenditure Summary (C-4) reports, and for late filed Candidate Registration (C-1)(EY21, 24, JUN24)

Case

#156093

Respondent

Chelsea Dimas

Complainant

Kenton Gartrell, Conner Edwards

Description

PDC staff reviewed the allegations and evidence you submitted; the applicable statutes, rules, and reporting requirements; the response(s) provided by Chelsea Dimas (the “Respondent”); the applicable PDC reports filed by the Respondent; and other relevant information, to determine whether the record supports a finding of one or more violations.
Background & Findings
 

2021 Election
• In 2021 the Respondent ran for a position on the City of Sunnyside Council and failed to timely file a Candidate Registration (C-1). They attended a Brief Adjudicative Proceeding (BAP) on August 12, 2021, for case 95333, and were ordered to pay a $400 civil penalty, with $300 suspended, for the missing C-1. The missing C-1 was filed on November 1, 2021, but the $100 civil penalty was not paid within 30-days of the Order, nor did the Respondent file the missing C-3 and C-4 reports for their 2021 campaign. At the time the Respondent filed the C-1, they selected the Mini Reporting option but failed to file any C-3 or C-4 reports during the period in which they were required to file as a full reporter. The suspended penalty of $300 was reinstated and the total civil penalty of $400 was sent to collections.
• On September 9, 2024, a C-4 and C-3 were filed for the period of June 7, 2021, through November 30, 2021, showing that the Respondent was the only contributor to their campaign and that there were campaign receipts and expenditures totaling $152.10.
• The $400 civil penalty for case 95333 was paid on October 22, 2024.
 

2024 Election
• On January 1, 2024, the Respondent filed a Candidate Registration (C-1), for the Full Reporting option. They are running in election year 2024 for the Washington State House of Representatives, Legislative District 14.
• The Respondent filed a C-4 report, for the period November 12, 2023, through December 31, 2023, reporting “non-itemized expenditures” of $374.79, a deposit of $92.55 from the candidate to the campaign, and “small contributions” of $100. Based on this reporting, the campaign started in November 2023 and should have filed the C-1 within 2-weeks, no later than December 1, 2023, of the campaign account being funded or expenditures being incurred. The C-1 was filed five weeks late.
• On May 16, 2024, the Respondent was issued a Warning from the PDC in case 149296. PDC staff determined that the Respondent was required to file C-3 reports for each deposit made in the previous month and a C-4 report covering the period through the last day of the previous month(s). The reports were due on January 10, 2024, for the period between December 1 and 31, 2023; February 12, 2024, for deposits made in January 2024; and March 11, 2024, for deposits made in February 2024. The Warning, in case 149296, did not address a C-4 that the Respondent failed to file for the period November 17, 2023, to November 30, 2023. This C-4 was filed seven months late, on July 15, 2024. The report was amended three times with the last amendment being on July 31, 2024. The Respondent should have filed a C-4 report for November 2023 by December 10, 2023. There was one C-3 report filed seven months late, on July 29, 2024, for a deposit made on November 22, 2023.
• The following Primary Election 2024 reports are included in the Statement of Understanding referenced below:
o The April C-4 filed 2.5 months late and an April C-3, for a deposit on April 23, 2024, filed 19-days late.
o The May C-4 was initially filed a month late and then amended with significant receipts and expenditures reported, making the report 7 weeks late. The May C-3s were filed timely.
o The June C-4 was due by July 10, 2024, but was initially filed on June 14, 2024, and then amended five times with a final report submitted on July 31, 2024, making it 21 days late. Five of the six C-3s filed in June were filed between 1 to 7 weeks late with only one of the C-3s filed that month submitted timely.
o The 21-day C-4 report was initially filed timely, July 16, 2024, but then amended and refiled on July 31, 2024. There were five associated C-3 reports, three of which were filed late but within July.
o The 7-day C-4 report was filed timely, as were the associated C-3 reports.
o The post-election C-4 for July 30, 2024, through August 31, 2024, was originally filed timely on September 9, 2024, but amended two days later to include an in-kind contribution associated with one of the complaints in this case. There were nine C-3 reports filed for the period July 30, 2024, through August 31, 2024; three reports were filed 21-days late.
o For C-4 #110222294, there were two expenditures to Vistaprint that occurred in April 2024 and were missing the number of items printed. The descriptions were amended and as of July 31, 2024, show the required number of printed items. This addressed one of the allegations in a complaint filed with the PDC by Conner Edwards.
o For C-4 #110234765, for the period July 1, 2024, through July 15, 2024, there is an expenditure to Parker Outdoors, paid on July 10, 2024, for $1600 for “Electronic Billboard.” The Post-election C-4, #110244866 as amended on September 11, 2024, also shows an expenditure for signs. These reports address an allegation of missing expenditure reporting for “billboards” In a complaint filed by Kenton Gartrell.
 

Summary and Resolution
Chelsea Dimas completed a Statement of Understanding (SOU) and paid a $750 civil penalty in accordance with WAC 390-37-143 (Brief Enforcement Penalty Schedule), acknowledging violations for a 2nd offence of RCW 42.17A.235 and .240 for late filed 2021 and 2024 C-3 and C-4 reports, and a 2nd offence for violation of RCW 42.17A.205 for a late filed 2024 Candidate Registration (C-1). The $750 penalty assessed resolves the allegations listed in your complaints.
 

Based on this information, the PDC finds that no further action is warranted and has dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1).

Disposition

Resolved through Statement of Understanding (SOU)

Date Opened

July 02, 2024

Areas of Law

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

Documents

• 156093 Chelsea Dimas Complaint.pdf
• 156093 Dimas_Chelsea Response.pdf
• 156093 Chelsea Dimas Supplemental Complaint.pdf
• 156093 Chelsea Dimas Supplemental Complaint (2).pdf
• 156093 Chelsea Dimas Supplemental Complaint (3).pdf
• 156093 Chelsea Dimas Complaint (4).pdf
• 156093 Dimas_Chelsea Initial Hearing Results Letters (Dimas).pdf
• 156093 Dimas_Chelsea Statement of Understanding.pdf
• 156093 Dimas_Chelsea Complaint Return Letter (combined).pdf

Penalties