ELECTION

PDC complaint filed regarding Republican election mailings

WSLC, others seek immediate action against Glen Morgan for dishonest mailings

OLYMPIA (Oct. 23, 2018) — As voters received their ballots last week, state Republican Party operatives sent postcards to progressive voters — deliberately disguised to look like they came from unions and progressive groups — urging against voting for the Democratic candidate and instead urging voters to write in the names of people not seeking the office. The mailings are clearly intended to suppress Democratic votes and boost the Republican candidates in key legislative races that will decide which party controls the State Legislature.

Today, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO and several other groups whose logos were misappropriated in the mailings filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) accusing Glen Morgan, whose political committee sent the mailings, of willfully violating state campaign laws. They are asking that the matter be referred to the state Attorney General’s office, which can impose more severe penalties and fines than the PDC.

“This is dirty politics at its worst and we are absolutely livid about it,” said WSLC President Jeff Johnson. “These Republican political operatives must think their candidates can’t win unless they cheat and trick voters. It’s shameless and disgraceful. The Washington State Republican Party and the candidates these mailings are intended to boost should immediately disavow these postcards, and state election authorities should take swift and severe legal action to stop such reprehensible tactics.”

According to PDC reports, the mailings targeted Democratic women who are challenging Republican men currently in office. The Democratic candidates targeted are Jessa Lewis who’s running for Senate against Rep. Jeff Holy (R-Spokane) in the 6th Legislative District, Erin Frasier who is challenging Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) in Southwest Washington’s 19th LD, and Connie FitzPatrick of Port Orchard who seeks to unseat Rep. Jesse Young (R-Gig Harbor) in the 26th LD. All three Democrats — Lewis, Frasier and FitzPatrick — have been endorsed by the WSLC and the primary results indicate their races are very close.

The fake postcards are the work of an Olympia-based PAC called “Conscience of the Progressives” run by Glen Morgan, who is known for targeting Democratic candidates, unions and progressive groups with hundreds of PDC complaints. Morgan admitted to The Seattle Times that he supports the Republicans in these races. Funding for the mailings came from Peter Ziele, a major Republican donor and controversial CEO of a Mukilteo aerospace firm.