The state Public Disclosure Commission has dismissed a complaint alleging that Republican Clark County Councilor David Madore and real estate developer Clyde Holland illegally earmarked donations to the Washington State Republican Party.
The complaint, filed by former state Sen. Al Bauer, a Democrat, alleges that the men’s donations to the party, which totaled $115,000, violated campaign contribution limits for Republican Jeanne Stewart’s 2014 campaign for Clark County commissioner against Democrat Craig Pridemore.
Holland and Madore each donated $25,000 to the state party on Sept. 3 of last year, and Holland gave an additional $65,000 donation to the party on Oct. 3, 2014. The party then gave Stewart $89,000 in in-kind donations — the highest dollar amount the Republicans spent on any local candidate last year — for TV ads. Bauer’s complaint claimed those donations were earmarked for Stewart’s campaign.
But in a letter the PDC sent to Bauer on Oct. 1, Compliance Officer Kurt Young wrote that there was no evidence that Madore or Holland collaborated with the Washington State Republican Party, and no evidence that Stewart requested the party’s support.
“I am returning your complaint filed against David Madore, Clyde Holland and the Washington State Republican Party without any further question,” Young wrote.
Neither Madore, nor Holland returned a request for comment.
Caleb Heimlich, executive director of the Washington State Republican Party, said the party has a long-standing policy not to accept earmarked donations.
“We are very careful to obey the letter and spirit of the law,” Heimlich said.
Heimlich also said it is “not uncommon in the least” for the party to give significant backing to a county candidate. The party also donated $18,500 to Spokane County Commissioner Al French in his campaign last fall.
“Clark County is an important county,” he said. “We obviously have an interest in continuing that and doing well in Clark County.”
Bauer, however, stands by his original complaint, saying it is “clear” that something is going on when a “big chunk” of money is donated to the state party, then the party donates a significant amount in advertising to a Clark County candidate. However, he suggested that perhaps limited resources at the PDC prevented the agency from properly digging into his allegations.
“I kind of expected to get that kind of result when I filed it, but I also had in mind that I could bring to the public’s attention that there is a problem where people can sneak through the cracks,” Bauer said. “That’s what happened here.”
