OLYMPIA, WA – Washington state Rep. Shaun Scott was fined $11,000 on Thursday for not disclosing properly how much he raised and spent as he ran for office last year, and using campaign funds to pay for haircuts.
On a 4-0 vote, the state Public Disclosure Commission levied a civil penalty of $10,000 on The Fighting 43rd, Scott’s campaign committee, for a litany of reporting violations. Scott also faces a separate $1,000 fine for violating a ban on the personal use of campaign funds on expenses not directly related to the campaign.
With each fine, commissioners suspended half the sum as long as the remaining half is paid within 90 days, and neither the committee nor the lawmaker commit any new violations in the next four years. Scott, a Democratic Socialist from Seattle, also must reimburse the committee for the haircuts in the next three months.
“I look forward to complying with the ruling handed down today,” Scott said shortly after Thursday’s hearing. “The Public Disclosure Commission does important work to ensure transparency in our elections. People have a right to know who’s funding campaigns for public office.”…