OLYMPIA, Wash. — Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna appears to be resisting calls by his Democratic election opponent, John Ladenburg, to step aside and let someone else decide whether to file campaign-finance charges and seek penalties against the Building Industry Association of Washington.
The state Public Disclosure Commission found "apparent multiple violations" of finance law earlier this week against BIAW, one of the biggest backers of Republican candidate for governor Dino Rossi. It also found apparent violations by the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties. More than $1 million in contributions and spending was at stake.
McKenna has until today to file charges, or citizens who earlier filed a complaint against the BIAW and Master Builders could go to court on their own to seek penalties.
The left-leaning group Fuse released an analysis this week showing that BIAW funneled $181,000 into ads and other independent expenditures to help McKenna in his 2004 campaign, suggesting an appearance of a conflict of interest. It said McKenna should file against BIAW based on the facts at hand, despite the BIAW's claims it acted within the law and did not conceal a campaign war chest to help Rossi that was worth more than $1 million.
Read the full story at theolympian.com.