PDC asks attorney general to investigate judicial candidate

Cindy Larsen is running for Superior Court judge in Snohomish County.

Cindy Larsen is running for Superior Court judge in Snohomish County.

OLYMPIA — The state’s campaign watchdog wants the Attorney General’s Office to investigate allegations of election violations against a judicial candidate in Snohomish County.

The Public Disclosure Commission voted unanimously Thursday to have Attorney General Bob Ferguson determine what action, if any, be taken against Cindy Larsen, who is running for Superior Court judge on the November ballot.

Larsen, a deputy county prosecutor, is accused of failing to disclose an in-kind contribution prior to the Aug. 2 primary, in which she finished first. Rico Tessandore finished second and the two are competing in the Nov. 8 election to succeed Judge Thomas Wynne.

Photos of Larsen and her children appeared in a mailer supporting passage of Proposition 1, the countywide sales tax hike measure defeated in the primary. A Safer Snohomish County, the political committee that conducted the campaign in support of the measure, spent nearly $55,000 on the mailing to tens of thousands of voters.

The complaints allege the mailing assisted Larsen in her campaign for judge and should have been reported as an in-kind contribution. Commission staff investigated and concluded Larsen’s failure to make the disclosure appeared to violate campaign finance laws.

In addition, investigators contend the value of that in-kind contribution exceeded the $2,000 limit for judicial races in the primary, another apparent violation.

The probe resulted from complaints July 25 by Beth Lucas and Aug. 4 by Melissa Day.

And in late August, Robert Schiffner, a Moses Lake attorney, filed a formal citizen action notice with the Attorney General’s Office. It gave the state 45 days to act in some fashion on those complaints, otherwise Schiffner could pursue legal action against Larsen.

It is because of that notice, commissioners found themselves in the position Thursday of deciding whether to recommend Ferguson delve into the allegations rather than handling it themselves.

“It constrains our options,” said commission chairwoman Anne Levinson.

Greg Wong, Larsen’s attorney, attended the commission hearing.

“Clearly they said they were not making a finding of determination of wrongdoing,” he said.

Wong asked commissioners to not refer the case and to find no violation occurred.

The purpose of a contribution is to benefit a candidate, he said. There’s no evidence Larsen derived benefit from the mailer in which she was not identified as a candidate, he said.

Wong also argued Larsen appeared because she personally supported Proposition 1. Penalizing her would be a violation of her constitutional rights to free speech, he said.

Though commissioners did not pass judgment on the complaints, their comments indicated they had questions about the circumstances surrounding Larsen’s involvement and doubts that she did not benefit.

As the investigation revealed, Brooke Davis, Larsen’s campaign manager at the time, also served as campaign manager for A Safer Snohomish County. Sheriff Ty Trenary, a leader of that political committee, co-chaired Larsen’s fundraising effort. And Snohomish County Prosecutor Mark Roe, Larsen’s boss, also served on the steering committee for the Proposition 1 campaign.

“That Miss Larsen and her two beautiful children wound up in this (mailing) by magic, I don’t think so,” said Commissioner John Bridges, a retired Chelan County Superior Court judge.

Larsen, a first-time candidate, won the August primary with 44.8 percent of the vote followed by Tessandore with 34.1 percent.

In a Sept. 8 deposition, she told PDC investigator Tony Perkins that her involvement in the mailer happened quickly.

She said she got a call from Trenary asking her to take part in a photo shoot the next day. Trenary, in his deposition, told investigators he didn’t call her.

In his interview, Roe said he “thought he called her” after a family he originally lined up to participate canceled at the last minute.

Roe said he felt he was “on the hook” and reached out to Larsen. He knew she lived in Everett, where the photos were to be taken. Larsen is an “attractive young woman” with “cute kids” and is married to a deputy sheriff, he said.

“We were just scrambling. Nobody thought it was a problem,” Roe said. “I still don’t.”

Trenary, Roe, Davis and Larsen all told Perkins that there was no discussion of using the mailer to help Larsen.

“I was not part of any discussions to bend the rules or to pull something over by Cindy being part of the Prop 1 (mailing),” Trenary said in his deposition. “I doubt you’ll find anybody who’ll say anything other than we thought we were doing the right thing.”

To ascertain if there might have been a benefit, Perkins asked Larsen about the tactics in her primary campaign.

She said she did no doorbelling and had no volunteers phoning voters. She also sent no mailings, nor did she run any ads on radio, television or online.

Her campaign, she said, consisted mostly of participating in parades, speaking with Republican and Democratic party organizations and corralling endorsements from law enforcement groups.

When asked why she thought she did so well, she offered several possible factors: Her name appeared first on the ballot, she was the only woman and she shares the same last name as U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, though they are unrelated.

She said she didn’t think she derived any benefit from appearing in the mailer because it doesn’t identify her as a candidate. The only way a voter might know, she said, is if they saw her name and face in the voter pamphlet with a mailer nearby.

“I don’t think the general population would ever make the connection,” she said.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Position 1 candidates prioritize public safety, differ on tax increases

Derica Escamilla is looking to retain her seat against challengers Dio Boucsieguez and Brandon Kimmel.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mini heat wave moving into Snohomish County

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, warning of temperatures climbing to mid-80s or low 90s Tuesday and Wednesday.

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members Doug Symonds and Alysia Obina on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How to grow for show: 10 tips for prize-winning dahlias

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members share how they tend to their gardens for the best blooms.

State Attorney General Nick Brown's office posted a release announcing $720 million in nationwide settlements with eight drugmakers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis. The state could receive more than $16 million, the release said. (Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard)
Snohomish County to receive portion of latest $16M opioid settlement

While the amount of money is still unknown, funding plans are already in place to help with drug abuse prevention, treatment and education.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.