Petition Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC): Investigate, Identify, Prosecute, and Fine “Ethical Woodinville”

Go to sign at http://www.change.org/petitions/washington-state-public-disclosure-commission-pdc-investigate-identi...

Since 1995 the citizens of Woodinville, Washington, have been subjected to anonymous and misleading campaign pieces that always support the same group of politicians and attack their opponents. This year attack postcards, robocalls, and a Web site by anonymous individuals, ironically calling themselves “Ethical Woodinville,” appear to involve expenditures of $10,000 to $15,000 – about $3 to $4 for every vote that will be cast by Woodinville voters.

The attacks are clearly intended to defeat Woodinville’s current Mayor, Bernie Talmas, a man of unimpeachable integrity who has done more than any Mayor in Woodinville’s history to protect Woodinville’s neighborhoods, local businesses, and the agricultural lands of Woodinville Wine Country.

A coalition of Woodinville citizens has filed a formal complaint against “Ethical Woodinville” with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, the state body responsible for investigating and enforcing state campaign law.

Like all parts of the state government, the PDC has lost resources due to budget cuts so it has limited ability to investigate and prosecute breaches of campaign finance law. While we sympathize with the constraints this budget-tightening imposes on the PDC, this change.org petition asks them to thoroughly investigate, identify, prosecute, and fine the individuals behind “Ethical Woodinville.”

Even though Woodinville is a small town with just over 11,000 citizens, after an eighteen-year history of anonymous attacks it’s time for Woodinville’s citizens to experience clean campaigns without the outright lies and ulterior motives that have influenced its elections (and profited out-of-town developers) for years.

The original complaint filed with the PDC, and addenda, are available at ethical-woodinville.com.

Sincerely,
[Your name]