For years the Democrat Party in Washington State has depended on the compulsory dues money of public employee union members to keep it afloat. The various unions that comprise the Washington Federation of State Employees has provided tens of millions over the last decade to make sure Frank Chopp is still Speaker of the House, and that a Democrat Governor is “negotiating” their union contracts.
However, that may be about to change.
The Freedom Foundation announced today a “complaint filed with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office that has the potential to cost the union millions and alter the way it conducts its political affairs.”
The filing with the AG’s offices claims that “wrongdoing going back as much as five years, (and) alleges the union qualifies as a political committee but hasn’t adhered to reporting requirements a political committee must under Washington state campaign finance laws.”
Now we wait to see how a Democrat AG and a Democrat-run Public Disclosure Commission handle this complaint. Stay tuned.
tensor says
Hm — a major contributor to one of Washington state’s biggest political parties may have violated campaign-finance laws for years. Why does that sound familiar?
Oh, yes:
Stewart, chairman of the West Seattle conglomerate Services Group of America (SGA) and top contributor to the state Republican Party, appeared in court this morning and admitted to U.S. Magristrate John Weinberg that he had knowingly violated federal election laws in his support of Republican candidates and causes.
Stewart continued to be a major contributor to the Washington State Republican Party for years after his guilty plea, until his death in a helicopter crash. He also continued to support the then-Washington Institute for Policy Studies — now known as the Washington Policy Center — with office space in his company’s corporate headquarters in West Seattle.
Meanwhile, in non-news, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation has filed suit against a union. Yawn.
Pat says
You should do your homework and go back a little farther into our state’s history, where you will find an attorney general whom later became governor as a democrat. Oh, did I mention that while he was attorney general, he presided over hearings about out-of-control organized crime, specifically centered around illegal activities of shipments of illegal goods (mostly narcotics) coming into Washington ports. Most of the people accused just happened to be related to the attorney general (he had family with well known ties to organized crime). Lo and behold, the then attorney general found there was no tie to organized crime. NOTE: he had family members that were tried and convicted of racketeering, organized crime and drug trafficking. Those family members spent a number of years at the federal penitentiary at McNeil Island.
Just sayin’: may be a slight honesty problem on both sides of the political aisle in our state’s history.. But, you would certainly never admit that.
tensor says
What has any of that to do with campaign finance?
(I think it’s pretty amusing you recounted all of that nonsense, not a single link or reference anywhere in it, and then told someone else to do homework.)
More to the point, we have here a local Republican web site accusing someone else of campaign-finance problems, all without any mention of the local Republican Party’s long-standing practice of taking money from an admitted criminal. Sounds like this site could better use your little lecture about “both sides.”
Pat says
As usual, you missed the obvious point of my post: just a reminder that the campaign issues you mentioned about a republican are every bit as existent as the corruption in various other parts of our state government by both parties. Just a simple fact that you always overlook.
As for the EFF suing a union: you may want to check out the suite field by EFF against SEIU about the illegal union dues deducted from Medicaid recipients monthly checks that SEIU kept. Oh, by the way: that case went all the way to the US Supreme Court and EFF prevailed. Just sayin…
AS for the organized crime story I posted: numerous documents of info from the State of Washington Archives. You’re a big boy, you can find them. While you’re looking up those documents, you can also look up the legal case against George Janovich and the Carbone Family of Gig Harbor. You’ll find a fascinating tail of corruption surrounding Mr. Janovich as the democrat backed Sheriff of Pierce County and his racketeering activities with the Carbone Family. Just another case of corruption within our state and local governments that involve someone, in this particular case, from the D side of the aisle.
Just want to make sure that we keep an open eye towards the corruption from our total government, from both sides of the aisle.
Pat says
Sorry about the spelling mistakes. First sentence of the second paragraph should read ‘suit filed’, My apologies.
tensor says
…ust a reminder that the campaign issues you mentioned about a republican are every bit as existent as the corruption in various other parts of our state government by both parties.
I ignored your “point” because it’s an obvious attempt to use long-dead irrelevancies to distract from what is really happening here: a Republican web site is accusing the Democrats of possibly behaving in exactly the way the Republicans already have. And let us make no mistake about it: the local Republicans profited handsomely by taking money from their admitted criminal of a donor, in ways that are still relevant today.
AS for the organized crime story I posted: numerous documents of info from the State of Washington Archives. You’re a big boy, you can find them.
I already posted the link to the story of how Thomas Stewart pled guilty to breaking campaign-finance laws. Take your own advice, and do your own homework.
Pat says
Way to deflect and pivot away from the truth about the democrat party-but your side of the aisle is very good at that because you can’t accept the truth. I’ve done my homework and I accept the fact that both sides of the aisle have problem children. But you will never have the personal character to accept the truth, no matter how many historical documents prove you wrong. Thomas Stewart did plead guilty and paid a huge price for his poor judgement. The citizens of the State of Washington paid a hefty price for the criminal corruption that was condoned by the Democrat Party and the party never did anything to cleanse the criminal element from the party (from the 1950 organized crime hearings that exposed those ties to the democrat party to the George Janivicg/carbone family organized crime ties and let’s not forget gamscam while we’re at it-but that’s democrat corruption for another day) that went on for almost 40 years. But, that seems to be okay with you. As I said, says a lot about your character and nothing to do with shiftwa.org. Nice try to pivot away from the real problems of both parties…
tensor says
Way to deflect and pivot away from the truth…
Yes, that’s exactly what you’re doing with your vague mutterings about very old news. The truth here is that this Republican web site is attacking Democrats for possibly behaving in exactly the same way Republicans have for years. And make no mistake about it: if Thomas Stewart was still alive, and willing to donate to the Washington State Republican Party, they would still be taking as much money from that admitted criminal as they possibly could:
Republican officials said they will continue to welcome Stewart’s largesse. In addition to contributing more than $600,000 to the state party last year, Stewart hosts the state GOP’s annual picnic at his Vashon Island farm.
“The Democrats would love for us to return his money, of course,” said Frank Bickford, director of the state Republican Party. “But these are misdemeanors we are talking about. He has paid the price and we will not take away his First Amendment rights, his freedom of expression.”
It’s also important to recall why Stewart got nailed in the first place: attempting to rig an election.
…Mr. Stewart’s decision to secretly funnel $60,000 in donations to a 1995 city ballot measure to change the way council members are elected, investigators concluded. Donors must be identified by law.
Thomas Stewart did plead guilty and paid a huge price for his poor judgement.
The fines were trivial for a man of his great personal wealth, and the plea deal ended a federal felony investigation. He suffered no real decrease in his wealth or power as a result of his crimes. He got off very, very easy for his attempt to rig an election.
I’ve done my homework…
And provided no links. Hence, no credit.
Pat says
Your amorality and narcissism are even worse that I thought. You couldn’t say snow if you were standing in a drift 10 feet high!!! Remember why this all started: you were having a hissy fit over a conservative website criticizing a liberal. Wow, you need to turn on that thing called the internet and see how many left wing, socialist, progressive websites go after conservatives everyday. Failure to recognize the truth and not able to accept the truth: hence, no credit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tensor says
Remember why this all started: you were having a hissy fit over a conservative website criticizing a liberal.
I merely noted that if the Democrats actually behave as Shift claims (yeah, right) the Democrats would then simply be following the example long set by our local Republican Party. Rather than dispute this incontrovertible fact, or recognize the blatant hypocrisy of this Republican web site criticizing Democrats for (possibly) behaving like modern Republicans, you started yammering incoherently about crimes supposedly committed by Democrats decades ago. While you haven’t provided any links to confirm whatever the heck it is you’re talking about, you do seem to believe you are competent to judge others. Sad.
pat says
Yes, the historical record of our state is sad in that it is filled with many bad examples of corruption and people behaving badly, on both sides of the aisle. Your ability to ignore history and the truth is SAD!!! But not surprising.
tensor says
I believe the reason you don’t provide any links to your loudly proclaimed examples is very simple: you know (or at least suspect) those historical documents do not really say what you want them to say, and so you are deceitfully claiming they do, while not allowing anyone else to check.
You’re free to prove me wrong, by making links to those documents. If you do not, we’re done here.
(Also, consider that Strom Thurmond was a Democrat for most of his life, until the Democrats joined the Civil Rights movement he hated. Nobody will believe you if you claim he represented today’s Democratic Party.)
Pat says
Nice try! History is history, and the events I’ve pointed out are in our state’s history. Funny thing: you’re the only one that denies them!
tensor says
“You’re free to prove me wrong, by making links to those documents. If you do not, we’re done here.”
Pat says
History is never done-it’s just history and it never changes. It wouldn’t do any good to give you the links: you wouldn’t accept them as fact anyway, that’s why I didn’t bother. It’s hard to be an expert without humility and being able to accept the truth-you don’t possess either quality. The only way you will accept any part of history is to find it out on your own. Good luck, it is a very easy search.
tensor says
“You’re free to prove me wrong, by making links to those documents. If you do not, we’re done here.”
Pat says
Another lesson of our country: I’m right until you prove me wrong. But in your socialist progressive world, you’re right just because you say so and how dare does anyone question you. Careful about trying to prove history wrong, it has a tendency to come back and bite you. But you won’t prove me wrong-it’s easier to flap your verbal wings and be a typical progressive socialist liberal.
tensor says
Another lesson of our country: I’m right until you prove me wrong.
On the contrary: any claim made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. I’ve provided links and quotes to support the claims I have made; you have not done the same for your claims. Unless you do, you have provided nothing worthy of dialog.
Biff says
Hm — a Democrat obsessively trolling Shift and rushing to the defense of fellow Democrats. Yawn
tensor says
Again, it’s interesting to see you equating my simple statement of obvious facts as “rushing to the defense”. I would think you’d be less eager to admit the attacks here are founded on lies.
Biff says
Again, it’s boring to see you obsessively trolling of Shift and rushing to put out your hyper-partisan defenses(D) the moment the the articles are published. Maybe if you waited until you could make the SECOND comment in a thread, you could fool your fellow Democrats into thinking you don’t rush to a comrade’s defense. I would think you’d be less eager to admit you have no life.
tensor says
“Again, it’s boring to see you…”
And yet, here you are, hanging upon my every word, to the extent of counting the very order of comments (!) I make. You must not have much of a life.
(I do agree with you on your main point, though: it’s a really good idea for you to go completely off-topic when that topic is the long history of our local Republican Party’s criminal-coddling for cash.)
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