Get dark money out of politics | Part 2
Published 1:30 am Sunday, May 3, 2026
By Tam Bresler, Barbara Dunn, Debbi and Brad Fincher, Susan Grout, Mark and Darlene Hampton, Beth Helstien, Diane Martindale, Cynthia McVeigh and Audrey Stewart
Seventy-nine percent of Americans agreed that large independent expenditures, labeled as “dark money” because of an inability to track where the money originates, give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption (https://issueone.org/press/new-polling-citizens-united-money-in-politics-reforms/).
“The public’s right to know of the financing of political campaigns and lobbying and the financial affairs of elected officials and candidates far outweighs any right that these matters remain secret and private,” says WA State Rules and Laws RCW 42.17A.001 Initiative 276 (https://www.pdc.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/2026.D101.training.pdf).
For 50 years, the Washington Public Records Act has been one of the strongest open government laws in the nation and reflects the desire of Washington citizens to know what their government is doing. * A transparent and accessible government is essential to a successful free society and fosters trust and confidence in government (https://www.pdc.wa.gov https://www.pdc.wa.gov/news/2021/50-years-shining-light-money-politics).
In 1992, voters expanded campaign finance restrictions by overwhelmingly approving Initiative 134, which set limits on contributions to state executive and legislative candidates, political parties and legislative caucuses (Title 42, Chapter 17a).
Added in March 2026 is the listing of 1,006 out-of-state political action committees’ contributions with dates and amounts noted (https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/committees/out-of-state).
The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission regulates candidates, campaigns and lobbyists. It enforces the state’s disclosure and campaign finance laws, and provides public access to information about lobbying activities, the financial affairs of elected and appointed public officials, and campaign contributions and expenditures. Find financial data reported by campaigns, learn the rules campaigns need to follow, view enforcement case documents and learn the status of cases, or report a violation to the PDC at https://www.pdc.wa.gov.
The PDC pursues equitable enforcement and an impartial and timely investigation.
These laws and rules give the PDC jurisdiction to enforce requirements governing the disclosure of campaign finance activities, political advertising, lobbying, personal financial affairs statements and alleged use of public facilities to support or oppose a candidate or ballot proposition.
The site includes comprehensive information for the voters and public, candidates, political committees, lobbyists and elected officials. The site details the requirements for registration and reporting, political disclosure data, rules and enforcement. Voters can review disclosure reports by candidates, committees and lobbyists, and learn about where campaign funding comes from and where it goes. There are rules for political advertising, campaign contribution limits for candidates and committees, and restrictions on what contributions are allowed ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Public_Disclosure_Commission).
The PDC staff reviews each complaint, and if sufficient information is available, the staff notifies the subject of the complaint. The complainant’s and respondent’s comments are posted on the PDC website. Within 90 days, complaints will be dismissed, deemed appropriate for technical correction, resolved by agreement or converted to a formal investigation.
If a campaign or PAC ignores a deadline, they are given a warning. Any organization with repeated warnings will pay escalating penalties and may be required to appear before the Commission. If a group/campaign is referred to enforcement, the case is publicly posted on the PDC.WA.gov site (WAC 390-37-182).
The PDC does not enforce federal campaign laws or rules, local ordinances, the Public Records Act in RCW 42.56 or the Ethics in Public Service Act in RCW 42.52 (https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/04/the-state-of-disclosure-washington).
In 2025, the PDC handled 1,179 complaints, 600 cases were resolved, assessed penalties totaled $113,000 for 326 cases, had about 13,000 filers and had 10.2 million open data records available. Also, the PDC conducted 42 training sessions with 440 participants. Requests for help from the customer service desk totaled 8,693.
In addition to offering support from customer service and filer assistance specialists, the PDC publishes training videos, slide decks, hosts online classes and collects resources to help filers throughout the state.
If a member of the public sees a yard sign without a sponsoring entity, post it to the PDC. The public is the eyes and ears in a community.
Indivisible San Juan Islands: https://indivisiblesji.org.
*Washington’s disclosure program has ranked first in the nation by the Campaign Disclosure Project.
See more:
https://www.pdc.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-02/pdc_annualreport_2025_final2.pdf
