Realpolitiks Bellevue

The State Public Disclosure Commission is sorting through a barrage of complaints from recent weeks alleging improprieties by the Dow Constantine campaign.

The accusers say Constantine’s camp has collaborated with independent groups that opposed his rivals in the race for King County executive. State law prohibits candidates from coordinating with independent campaigns (see Section 28 of RCW 42.17.020).

Allegation 1
The PDC is investigating a complaint by Seattle resident Judy L. Brown that alleges Constantine’s campaign treasurer, Jason Bennett, also served as treasurer for the group FAIRPAC/Citizens To Uphold the Constitution, which sponsored a phone campaign against opponent Susan Hutchison.

Bennett owns Argo Strategies, a political consulting firm that is working with FAIRPAC/Citizens To Uphold the Constitution. He reportedly recused himself from his role with the account, and said earlier this month that he would send a form to the PDC explaining that he doesn’t discuss campaign strategy with the two campaigns.

Allegation 2
The PDC has rejected a second complaint from conservative blogger Angie Vogt of Federal Way that alleges collaboration between one of Constantine’s consultants and an adviser for several independent groups that sponsored campaigns attacking Hutchison and state Rep. Ross Hunter, who was an executive candidate during the primary.

Vogt accused former Constantine political consultant Christian Sinderman of coordinating strategies with Lisa MacLean, who helped put out mailings attacking Hutchison.

Sinderman runs Northwest Passage Consulting, which leases space in Seattle to an outfit run by MacLean called Moxie Media.

The PDC said Vogt’s evidence was not conclusive enough to prove campaign misdeeds.

Allegation 3
A third PDC complaint comes from P. Scott Cummins of Seattle, who alleges that Sinderman has broken campaign rules by serving as political consultant for Constantine and the Service Employees International Union, which endorses Constantine and has spoken out against his rivals.

I’ll look more into this last complaint on Monday. I’d like to find out what the PDC says about Sinderman’s association with the SEIU — as in whether or not this kind of thing is prohibited. In the meantime, flip to the Northwest Passage Consulting client list, which includes SEIU groups.