Illegal mailers deceptively “support” Sheldon
Oct 27, 2014 at 9:01AM
OLYMPIA — An unregistered political committee called “American Values First” tied to the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is attempting to suppress Republican in the 35th Legislative District with illegal and deceptive campaign mailers and automated calls to conservative voters, according to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee.
The mailers and automated calls tell conservative voters to support Sen. Tim Sheldon because of his support for Medicaid funding under the Affordable Care Act, financial aid for undocumented students and women's health care
.... DLCC affiliated groups are both attacking and praising Sen. Sheldon for his position on women’s health care, according to Sen. Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup), chair of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee.
“This is a dishonest and deceptive attempt to suppress Sen. Sheldon’s support with Republican voters,” said Dammeier. “What’s even worse is the complete disregard for Washington state law by this dark money, unregistered political committee.”
This story is published in the Port Orchard Independent, part of Sound Publishing Inc, the largest community news organization in Washington State. Sound Publishing owns approximately 14 local newspapers, all with a definite right wing slant.
Wikipedia offers a comprehensive and detailed description of "voter suppression" which I do not believe extends to the rather slippery slope use of the term by Washington State Republicans:
Voter suppression is a strategy to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing people from exercising the right to vote. It is distinguished from political campaigning in that campaigning attempts to change likely voting behavior by changing the opinions of potential voters through persuasion and organization. Voter suppression instead attempts to reduce the number of voters who might vote against the candidate or proposition advocated by the suppressors.
The tactics of voter suppression can range from minor "dirty tricks" that make voting inconvenient, up to blatantly illegal activities that physically intimidate prospective voters to prevent them from casting ballots. Voter suppression could be particularly effective if a significant amount of voters are intimidated individually because the voter might not consider his or her single vote important.
Suddenly! Below the fold:
Suddenly Washington State Republicans are concerned about "dark money" and:
• Not registered as a political committee with the PDC. (RCW 42.17A.205)
• Failure to report source of funds. (RCW 42.17A.305)
• Failure to report electronically. (RCW 42.17A.305)
• Fails to list top 5 contributors on the mailers. (RCW 42.17A.320)
• Does not have a committee with 10 Washington state donors. (RCW 42.17A.442)
• Without an established committee, spending violates $5,000, 21-day rule. (RCW 42.17A.420)
• Failure to file C6 form for independent expenditures. (RCW 42.17A.255)
• Failure to file C6 form within 24 hours. (RCW 42.17A.305)
For the record,
American Values First is not a PO Box in Sammamish, Washington like a group calling itself Working Families which mailed out similar items attacking Shari Song, candidate for WA State Senate in LD30 :
I was shocked by the ugly photo-chopped visual imagery of Shari Song depicted in a pricey, glossy mailer sent out by a group, or possibly person, calling itself Working Families, based in Sammamish.
This entity has absolutely no connection with a national group, Working Families, based in New York, which concerns itself with affordable housing, fighting climate change, reforming criminal justice, making higher education debt free, fair taxation, quality public education, accessible health care, a livable minimum wage, getting money out of politics, paid sick days for workers — the list goes on and on and is one that Jesus Christ the social justice advocate would recommend.