Rep. Doglio fined $250 for using state video in campaign ad
OLYMPIA – Democratic state Rep. Beth Doglio has been fined $250 by the Legislative Ethics Board because her congressional campaign used a video taken by legislative staff, in violation of the state’s prohibition against using state resources for a campaign.
In Friday’s opinion, the board said that complaint against Doglio was started at the end of August after a videographer employed by Legislative Support Services recognized several still shots from a video he shot for Doglio’s legislative office featured in a TV ad for her 10th Congressional District campaign in July.
The videographer later found a YouTube video on her campaign site that included some of the same footage.
Doglio is running against former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, also a Democrat, in the race to succeed Democratic U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, who is retiring from Congress and is currently running for lieutenant governor.
While campaigns can use photos from Legislative Support Services as long as they are purchased, videos are not available due to the likelihood they would be used in campaigns. The order states that the still shots were purchased once Doglio was informed. As for the video footage, the order said that Doglio believed that the footage was taken from a TVW clip. Once she was informed that the video came from state resources, Doglio said that she instructed campaign staff to remove the ad from YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere and the video has since been removed.
“Although Respondent had incorrect information about the videos and photos used and was unaware that the photos had not been purchased or that the genesis of the videos sent to the media consultant had not been carefully checked, that does not excuse Respondent’s campaign’s use of the material,” read the opinion, signed by chairman Eugene Green.
Jamie Housen, a spokesman for the Doglio campaign, said that the issue “was a regrettable oversight made by campaign staff.”
“We are glad to have it resolved,” he said.