Eric Pratt

This is a follow-up to our earlier post about the Public Disclosure Commission waiving a state law passed by the legislature, a move that lets special interests take the lid off how much they can spend to mislead you. At the time, we didn’t know who requested that waiver. Now we do. SEIU has put a total of $400,000 into a two-pronged attack on the income tax and on our Supreme Court candidates. On October 26, SEIU gave $150,000 to the campaign opposing I-645 (the income tax) and $250,000 to the committee attacking your judicial candidates, Beware the Attack on Our Courts. Under state law, SEIU could only have given $75,000 to each, for a total of $150,000. That’s not a small amount. Instead, the PDC handed Beware the Attack on Our Courts the ability to take an extra $250,000, a windfall granted in violation of state law. Yes, in Washington some people are more equal than others. The Supreme Court candidates targeted by this money can still only collect $2,400 per person, and only through their own committees. The PDC says it made this move in the name of “fairness.” As a reminder, Merriam-Webster defines “fairness” as “the quality or state of being fair” and “lack of favoritism toward one side or another.”

The forces spreading lies about Judge Larson and other judicial candidates are giving you a front-row seat to what buying a Supreme Court looks like. State law adopted by the legislature, not a rule created by the Public Disclosure Commission, limits large contributions in the final weeks before an election. However, just 9 days before the election, the Public Disclosure Commission chose to ignore that law to allow groups like Beware the Attack on Our Courts to get large checks from donors to flood voters with more misinformation about Dave. It's ironic in a judicial race that the PDC chose to ignore the law. Meanwhile, Dave can't raise a dime himself. He can only raise money through his committee, which can't accept more than $2,400 per person. They should have called it Beware the Attack on the Law. They accuse others of breaking the law while they break it and accuse others of trying to stack the Court when they're the ones trying to stack it. If this PAC accepts contributions in violation of state law, it proves they don't care about the law or the truth, and that they believe they can own our courts. They've already broken spending records because it's that important to them. Judicial races are usually so quiet that voters rarely get a real choice. They never expected anyone to push back, and Dave's open letter exposed their agenda. Somebody is desperate for a win. Every dollar they take outside the law is proof we're making a difference. Read Judge Larson's open letter and share it far and wide. It's the evidence they're hoping their money can drown out: larsonforjustice.com/open-le… They'll outspend us, but we can outwork them — and outnumber them. Money talks, but it doesn't vote. PS: This is the same Public Disclosure Commission that found Judge Larson’s campaign in violation of PDC Rules because his yard sign disclaimers were 0.175” (7/40”) too small. The PDC cared about myopic voters not seeing Dave's disclaimer, but their own vision of the law on funding limitations would be better if they didn't look the other way as the law is violated.

Diesel hit $7.99 in North Bonneville. It’s time to end the war in Iran.