Ethics panel weighs policy for GoFundMe donations for DNC

TACOMA — A state ethics panel is questioning whether Washington lawmakers need to file fundraising reports for money they received to attend national political conventions.

Some Washington lawmakers were chosen as delegates for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last month, and some of those delegates solicited online donations to help cover the cost of attendance, The News Tribune reported.

Earlier this year, legislative attorneys issued informal advice saying such donations don’t violate state ethics rules and don’t have to be reported, but on Tuesday some members of the Legislative Ethics Board questioned if websites such as GoFundMe provide a new way for lobbyists to covertly influence state lawmakers.

“That sounds like a loophole to me,” said state Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, another member of the board.

State ethics law prohibits lawmakers from accepting gifts of more than $50 outside of campaign contributions that are reported to the state Public Disclosure Commission. However, the law also allows state officers to accept items “authorized by law.” Federal law states that delegates can raise money to attend national conventions without reporting their donors.

On Tuesday the board asked its attorney Keith Buchholz to prepare a report on the issue. He is expected to present his findings in October.

Last month delegates estimated attending the Democratic National Convention would cost them at least $3,000. One delegate, state Rep. David Sawyer, D-Parkland, created a GoFundMe page that was then the subject of an elections complaint and a negative ad campaign. Sawyer took his page down and canceled his trip.