Anti-Senn ads broke election law

SEATTLE – A Washington business group backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce violated disclosure laws when it waged an ad campaign against attorney general candidate Deborah Senn last year without proper reports, a judge says.

King County Superior Court Judge Richard Jones, in a ruling announced Monday, said the Voters Education Committee broke the campaign finance law that requires disclosure of donors’ identity.

The judge said the organization behaved like a campaign group, and not a mere “issue advocacy” group, when it used the term “cover-up” in criticizing Senn’s record as insurance commissioner. The group needed to register as a campaign organization and report the identity of all donors, he said.

Television ads criticized Senn’s handling of the state’s share of a $1 billion settlement with an insurance company, and the loss of the state’s accreditation on her watch.

The state committee received about $1.5 million from the national chamber and spent most of it on the anti-Senn ads, which aired just before her primary race against Mark Sidran, the former Seattle city attorney. The chamber declined to disclose its contributors.

Democrat Senn won the primary, but lost to Republican Rob McKenna in the November general election.

The Public Disclosure Commission sued the state group, which defended its ads as issue advocacy that is exempt from disclosure.

The court scheduled a hearing for next spring on penalties. The court can fine the group up to $10,000 per violation. Asked what penalty is appropriate, Senn’s lawyer, Michael Withey, said, “You know, $1.5 million rings a bell.”

Senn, who blames the ads for her loss, called the ruling an important victory for the public’s right to know.

“This is a ruling that protects the electoral process,” Withey told the Olympian newspaper. “They could do it again, but now they realize these kind of smear tactics can be sanctioned.”

John White, the committee’s attorney, said an appeal is likely.