GOP On Thin Ice Legally In Washington State

From HorsesAss.org, A Washington State Political Blog:

The Washington State Democrats filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission on October 24 asking them to investigate the Republican media firm Media Plus. Media Plus gets its ad time on credit from TV stations, and the Democrats believe this constitutes an illegal loan to Media Plus’ political clients.

The complaint follows on the heels of a different complaint filed at the federal level by Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, Darcy Burner, whose lawyers alleged on Wednesday that Media Plus gave an illegal loan to Rep. Dave Reichert’s campaign by fronting him TV time.

The Oct. 24 release from the Washington State Democrats, who have identified GOP candidates Dino Rossi, Rob McKenna (Attorney General), and Douglas Sutherland (Commissioner of Public Lands) as recipients of Media Plus’ loans, says:

“By purchasing their ads on credit, the campaigns of Republicans Dino Rossi, Rob McKenna, and Doug Sutherland gain an unmistakable advantage, relieving them of the requirement to actually ‘purchase’ media time and giving them a slush fund at the most crucial part of the campaign season,” said Dwight Pelz, Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. “If Media Plus buys hundreds of thousands of dollars of advertising time ‘on credit’ for Republican candidates during the last week of the election, what happens when those candidates don’t win and can’t pay? This practice needs to end immediately.”

And in Other GOP Legal Hot Water News…

King County Superior Court Judge Paris Kallas ruled today that the lawsuit alleging illegal coordination between Dino Rossi and the BIAW’s fundraising efforts can go forward.

Kallas will decide next week if Dino Rossi will be deposed. Rossi’s deposition could be scheduled next Wednesday.