By Jerry Cornfield
Republican Rob McKenna today accused Democrat Jay Inslee of using illegal transfers of money from his past congressional campaigns to fuel his bid for governor.
McKenna laid out his accusations in an 11-page complaint filed this afternoon with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
To add urgency, he made it a 45-day formal complaint, meaning the five-member commission must determine a course of action within 45 days or McKenna could pursue legal action on his own.
You can read the complaint here.
“For over a year, Congressman Inslee has hidden from the public where all of the money for his gubernatorial race was coming from,” said Randy Pepple, McKenna’s campaign manager in a statement. “With this complaint, we are shedding a bit of light on his questionable campaign tactics.”
Eight donations are listed as examples of alleged violations. Pepple said it will be up to the PDC to determine the exact amount of illegal transfers.
McKenna’s camp first raised questions months ago about the money Inslee moved from his federal re-election account to his campaign fund for the governor’s race. At the time, the PDC signed off on the process Inslee used.
“It was all done in consultation with the PDC. We’re confident there is nothing to it,” said Sterling Clifford, Inslee’s communications director.
“Sun rises. McKenna campaign complains things are unfair. Sun sets,” he said.
Today’s action makes good on a threat Pepple issued two weeks ago after the Inslee campaign filed a complaint against McKenna for failing to disclose expenditures in a proper and timely manner.
Inslee alleges McKenna’s campaign didn’t report $21,000 in expenditures and failed to disclose another $85,000 in expenses in the time frame set out by law.
The complaint also questions the source of money used to pay three people who did political work for McKenna in the days before he formally entered the race for governor on June 8, 2011.
