Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a $2.1 million civil lawsuit against anti-tax initiative promoter Tim Eyman and his organizations over their campaign finance practices.
Ferguson says Eyman illegally and deliberately misused funds that were donated for initiatives that he promoted. In some cases, authorities say Eyman used the funds for personal living expenses and in other cases, he spent funds donated for one initiative on a different initiative.
Ferguson says Eyman’s political actions amounted to an “elaborate web of unlawful transactions” and that he “demonstrated contempt” for the state’s campaign finance laws, duping contributors in the process.
The lawsuit filed in Thurston County Superior Court also seeks an injunction to prohibit Eyman from participating in future campaigns.
The attorney general’s action followed an investigation by the Public Disclosure Commission that was launched after receiving a complaint in 2012. The PDC said Eyman’s case was one of the more egregious matters that it has seen. The commission referred the case to the AGl’s office in 2015 and the office issued civil orders to Eyman, his company, his two political committees and Citizen Solutions seeking financial and tax records. When Eyman and the companies didn’t fully comply with the orders, the state sought subpoenas and in June 2016, a judge ordered Eyman to comply.
Eyman and the companies named in the lawsuit have 20 days to respond to the complaint. (AP)
