WA campaign finance watchdog to pay $25K over alleged meeting violations

The state's campaign finance watchdog agency settled a lawsuit for $25,000 over allegations that commissioners on its board "repeatedly and flagrantly" violated the state's Open Public Meetings Act 22 times over the course of two years.

Arthur West, an open government advocate and plaintiff in the case, argued that between Feb. 22, 2024, and January 22, 2026, commissioners knowingly and willfully violated the law by repeatedly failing to publicly announce the purpose of closed-door meetings, state when those sessions would end or properly extend them.

The lawsuit was filed by West in Thurston County Superior Court on Feb. 11 against the Public Disclosure Commission and its present and former board commissioners.

The Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) requires meetings of governing bodies for public agencies to be open to the public. The law also outlines notice requirements for public meetings and strictly limits when executive sessions, which are closed to the public, can be held.

"The OPMA does not treat these requirements as optional etiquette," West wrote in the complaint. "The people are excluded from an executive session, and the Legislature required the presiding officer to announce the specific purpose and the end time precisely because secrecy is an extraordinary act, not a default setting."

Commissioners are appointed by the governor and required to undergo training as part of their duties to set agency policy and enforce state public disclosure and campaign finance law. As part of the settlement, members who are still on the board must complete additional open government training within 90 days.

Commission chair J. Leach said in a statement that the PDC "has always been committed to transparency" and that commissioners have made adjustments to their processes "to ensure they align with our commitment to open government." He said the agency welcomes public input and encouraged those with concerns "to raise them with us prior to filing a lawsuit."

"This case does not include any allegations that a decision was made outside the public eye, and indeed none was," Leach said.

Money from the settlement will come from the PDC's general budget, according to a spokesperson for the agency.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:02 PM.