Public Disclosure Commission has started to move on the Russell complaints.

As regular readers now, I have filed 9 allegations against Jon Russell's campaign for violations of the Washington State Public Disclosure laws.

Three of those allegations were the same thing: Russell has refused to follow the law concerning reporting electronically (as opposed to manually via fax or snail mail) as required if you even INTEND to spend more than $10,000 in your campaign.

As specified by the PDC 2 days after I filed the first allegation:

From: Jennifer Hansen [mailto:jennifer.hansen@pdc.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday,June 24, 2010 5:32 PM
Subject: PDC Filing Reminder - Weekly C-3s
Importance: High

A filing reminder from the PDC for 2010 candidates and their treasurers:
....

Mailed reports are filed when they are postmarked; electronically filed reports are filed when they are transmitted. E-filed reports can be submitted 24 hours a day. Any candidate may e-file contribution and expenditure reports, candidates who spend or expect to spend $10,000 must e-file their reports.*

Please note that Russell and every other candidate got the word on June 24, as outlined above.

Two additional complaints later, and Russell has FINALLY decided to follow the law, in this instance, 5 months after he should have and almost one month after I first filed a complaint about it.

I am responding on behalf of Jennifer Hansen. PDC staff has been in contact with Jon Russell about his need to file his PDC reports electronically. He has responded by filing the required signature authorization form and has selected the necessary passwords, meaning he can now begin filing electronically. He has been entering data into the PDC’s ORCA software and has stated that he expects to file all reports electronically on Monday, July 19, 2010. You will be receiving a written response to your complaints shortly.

Phil Stutzman

Philip E. Stutzman

Director of Compliance

Washington State Public Disclosure Commission

711 Capitol Way, Rm. 206/ P.O. Box 40908

Olympia, WA 98504-0908

(360) 753-1111/Fax (360) 753-1112

direct line: (360) 664-8853

toll-free in Washington State: 1-877-601-2828

Website: www.pdc.wa.gov

Well, I at least appreciate that Russell is now going to meet the legal requirements of campaigning in this state... finally... after I had to turn him in for failing to follow the law for several months.

Good job, Jon. Your deliberate violation of the law makes us proud... all the while, providing ADDITIONAL reasons to vote against you.

How anyone can support someone to become a lawmaker who so cavalierly disregards that law when it suits them is beyond me. Maybe somebody who reads this can fill us all in.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
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