Democrats file complaint against state AG McKenna

Party objects to public service ads

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published July 22, 2008

The state Democratic Party has filed a campaign finance complaint against Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna, questioning his appearance in public-service announcements during his re-election campaign.

"These are not public service announcements," McKenna foe John Ladenburg asserted in a news release, adding that as AG he would work for a ban on using an elected officials' name or likeness in PSAs or privately sponsored ads during an election year.

McKenna spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie in Olympia said the ads are within bounds of fair play and part of work McKenna has been doing since he took office in 2005.

The Democrats' complaint said payment for the ads was by Boeing Employees Credit Union, Comcast and the Century Council, three groups Guthrie said have longstanding connections to McKenna and public-service ads.

"Attorney General McKenna's been doing PSAs since shortly after he took office. It's a function of the office, and you're asked to do public service announcement as a leader," Guthrie added, citing ads done with the Century Council on underage drinking and preventing drunken driving and others on identify theft with BECU. "These are longstanding relationships that are consistent with work that our office does."

The complaint by state Democratic Party chairman Dwight Pelz was mailed to the state Public Disclosure Commission, Ladenburg spokesman David Sawyer said. It names the three organizations paying for the ads as well as McKenna and says the parties should have to disclose the value of the ads as campaign contributions.

The PDC has not received copies of the complaint, spokeswoman Lori Anderson said.

Pelz contends the ads on radio and television are "electioneering communications" that exceed limits for the 60 days prior to the Aug. 19 primary and also violate a $1,600 campaign-contribution limit.

Pelz further contended that the ads would have to have been arranged six months before McKenna became a candidate.

His kickoff was Nov. 14, 2007, Guthrie said, adding, "Our (PSA) relationships far precede his announcement of candidacy."

State Republican Party chairman Luke Esser put out a statement late Monday saying the complaint was hypocritical since Gov. Chris Gregoire has appeared in many public-service announcements.

Esser also pointed out that Ladenburg, as Pierce County executive, had an ethical lapse by failing to fully disclose his ownership in a drug-making company that was receiving contracts from the county.