Head of Public Disclosure Commission stepping down in May

OLYMPIA – The executive director of the state’s campaign finance watchdog says she’s stepping down in May.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Evelyn Fielding Lopez – who was appointed to the position at the Public Disclosure Commission in October 2015 – said that she wants to pursue other interests, including possibly participating in local politics in Tacoma, where she lives.

Last year, Republican leaders had called for Fielding Lopez’s resignation, accusing her of being biased in favor of Democrats, which she disputed. A complaint filed with the executive ethics board against her was dismissed in January, being found “obviously unfounded or frivolous.”

Also Tuesday, the commission announced the appointment of Barbara “BG” Sandahl as the agency’s new assistant director. A new executive director has not yet been named.