As the election season begins to warm up, we in the newsroom more frequently find ourselves dipping into the campaign-spending database maintained by the state Public Disclosure Commission.
The commission is one of those government institutions that proves initiatives often can lead to a lot of good. It was created by Washington voters in 1972, the same year they also brought the state’s open public records laws into being.
The commission exists to “provide timely and meaningful public access to accurate information about the financing of political campaigns, lobbyist expenditures, and the financial affairs of public officials and candidates, and to ensure compliance with and equitable enforcement of Washington’s disclosure and campaign finance laws.”
This time of year, as candidates start slugging it out for keeps, the commission regularly gets asked to investigate allegations of misdeeds. Many of these complaints are just breathless attempts to splash mud on opponents. Sometimes, though, something truly stinky turns up. Witness last year’s PDC investigation into the Moxie Media mess and what allegedly was an attempt to hide funding sources for a false-flag election campaign, right here in Snohomish County.
When folks aren’t trying to game the system, the commission’s database provides an accurate and accessible accounting of the role people, businesses and political action committees play in bankrolling election campaigns. On Thursday morning, for example, it showed nearly $240,000 already has been directed toward the contest that will determine whether Aaron Reardon, a Democrat, will continue to serve as Snohomish County executive, or if he’ll be replaced by Mike Hope, a Republican. So far, Reardon’s camp has amassed more than 70 percent of the campaign contributions reported for the race.
City editor Robert Frank suggested we use this space to offer a primer on how to use the PDC database to track elections spending. After some reflection, here’s the best advice: Just jump in. The directions are on the site and you can’t break anything.
A suggestion, though. Before drilling into this year’s data, spend a little time studying what happened during the 2010 election cycle. The attached chart from the PDC provides some broad hints on what you may want to look for.
2010 election contributions
Click on the chart below to see where the money came from. (Click here if you have trouble viewing it.)
The National Institute on Money in State Politics (www.followthemoney.org) also has a great database that makes it easy to pore over campaign spending in Washington and elsewhere.
Finally, opensecrets.org offers thoughts on the top 10 things voters should know about money and politics. Here’s number 1:
“As surely as water flows downhill, money in politics flows to where the power is. Individuals and interest groups who want to influence lawmakers will spend their campaign contributions where they count the most: with the politicians in the best position to deliver what they’re looking for.”
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