Foreman Campaign In Trouble Again Governor Candidate Hit For Contribution Rules Violations

Gubernatorial candidate Dale Foreman agreed Wednesday to return several thousand dollars to a wealthy potato farmer who contributed some $3,000 more than a state campaign financing law allowed.

It’s the second time this week that Foreman has been in trouble with the Public Disclosure Commission.

Foreman’s campaign announced the refund of $2,900 after the PDC released a report outlining evidence collected in its investigation of contributions from P.J. Taggares, who owns a 50,000-acre farm in the Columbia River basin and serves on the Foreman campaign’s finance committee.

The report stems from an ongoing investigation of $15,500 in contributions to the Wenatchee Republican from people and businesses associated with Taggares, including his shop foreman and his housekeeper. All but $1,000 of that amount was contributed in one day last December.

The staff report drew no conclusions, and no charges have been filed. In fact, the Foreman campaign agreed with the findings, saying Taggares and the campaign both made honest mistakes in attempting to comply with new limits on financing.

But the PDC’s report implied that Foreman should have known better, especially since the four corporate checks - each written for $1,000 - included the Taggares name.

As a result, the commission that enforces campaign finance laws still could decide to penalize Foreman as much as $2,500 for accepting the contributions, according to Susan Harris, the PDC’s assistant director in charge of enforcement.

In addition, Wednesday’s report only dealt with Taggares’ corporate contributions. The commission is still investigating possible links in donations from Taggares, his family, his bookkeeper, his accountant, his administrative assistant, his farm manager, his shop foreman, his payroll manager and his housekeeper. That part of the investigation could spell more trouble for Taggares than Foreman.

Still, Foreman’s troubles with the PDC don’t end there.

On Monday, the commission filed a statement of civil charges in an unrelated investigation of Foreman’s campaign finances. The PDC’s staff said Foreman and his backers formed a committee last year whose stated purpose was to advance Republican positions, but whose real purpose was to raise money and tout Foreman for governor.

Foreman was in Vancouver on Wednesday and was not available for comment. Taggares could not be reached at his office late Wednesday afternoon, and he has an unlisted home number.

However, the Foreman campaign provided a copy of a letter to the PDC written by Richard Derham, a Seattle attorney and co-chairman of the campaign, which said Foreman has returned $2,900 in contributions from the Taggares businesses. The campaign kept $1,100, the amount now allowed under the law.

Derham said the campaign also returned some of the money contributed by Taggares’ family and employees, at least until the investigation is complete.