Opinion ID: 621131
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plaintiffs' Efforts to Recall Dale Washam

Text: Plaintiff Robin Farris began an effort to recall Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam in 2010, after becoming aware of allegations that Washam had engaged in malfeasance while in office. Farris formed a political committee, Recall Dale Washam (the Recall Committee), which she registered with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), and filed charges against Washam under § 29A.56.110. After proceedings in the superior court and an appeal, the Washington Supreme Court found several of Farris' charges sufficient and approved a ballot synopsis. See In re Recall of Washam, 171 Wash.2d 503, 257 P.3d 513 (2011). The recall proponents then had until August 31, 2011 to collect signatures from 65,495 registered Pierce County voters to qualify the approved synopsis for the November ballot. Meanwhile, shortly before the Washington Supreme Court issued its decision, the PDC issued the Recall Committee a Notice of Administrative Charges, alleging that the committee violated Washington Revised Code § 42.17A.405 by accepting more than $800 in in-kind contributions from Oldfield & Helsdon, a law firm that had represented the committee in the state superior court and supreme court proceedings on a pro bono basis. The PDC ultimately withdrew the charges, but stated: The fact that PDC staff does not intend to allege a violation of [§ 42.17A.405] should not be construed to mean that the contribution limits of [§ 42.17A.405] are not applicable to the recall election. The statute, as written, is to be followed during the recall campaign.