Foes of WA initiative to repeal climate law fined 20K for campaign finance violations

Green Jobs PAC was penalized $20,000 for failing to timely disclose $1 million in campaign spending related to Initiative 2117, which sought to repeal the Climate Commitment Act. The Washington Public Disclosure Commission found the committee violated state campaign finance laws, with attorney Dmitri Iglitzin describing the situation as a "ministerial screw-up. " The PAC raised and spent $3. 2 million during the campaign, primarily funded by bp America and Amazon. The commission suspended half of the fine if the PAC remains compliant over the next four years.

The commission's investigation revealed that the committee delayed filing a required report detailing significant expenditures until after the election. This case follows a similar fine imposed on Let’s Go Washington for their own reporting failures. Concerns have been raised about large campaigns treating fines as a cost of doing business. The outcome underscores the importance of transparency in campaign financing ahead of elections.