My team is at the state Supreme Court today fighting to combat the influence of dark money in Washington state elections.
This historic case will have major implications for the future of our elections and our ability to hold powerful interests accountable for breaking the rules.
Here are the details: In 2013, the national corporate lobby group for processed foods, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), unlawfully concealed the source of more than $10 million in dark money spent to influence the vote on a GMO labeling initiative. After I took them to court, a judge ruled that the GMA intentionally violated our campaign finance laws.
The judge ordered the GMA to pay $18 million for its intentional violation — and now they are appealing that penalty to the Supreme Court.
I am confident that we will win, but there’s a lot at stake — which is why I’m asking for your support. Will you add your name if you believe corporate special interests should be held accountable?
Thanks to Washington’s voters, we have the legal tools to hold powerful special interests accountable when they try to conceal millions of dollars in dark money spending — but the GMA is trying to get around those laws and avoid accountability for their actions.
Two key voter-approved provisions of our campaign finance laws are at stake: a provision that ties the penalty amount to the amount of money concealed; and another that allows a judge to triple a penalty for
intentional violations.
These provisions keep our democracy fair and transparent and help stop the influence of dark money on our elections. This corporate lobby wants to ensure that campaign finance penalties are limited to slaps on the wrist, otherwise known as “the cost of doing business.”
Stand with me by adding your name here: https://go.bobferguson.com/a/gma-sept2021
I’ll be in touch as things develop.
Thank you for your support,
Bob
