A Seattle-based labor union was charged $45,806 as part of a settlement for improperly reporting $1.39 million in political contributions, state officials said Friday.
The Service Employees International Healthcare 775NW (SEIU 775) will have $6,562 of the charge suspended if it complies with political finance laws going forward. The Washington State Attorney General filed the lawsuit after an investigation into the union’s political action committee.
“The union agreed to file its reports in accordance with state campaign finance law,” the attorney general’s office stated in a press release. “In late July 2015, the Attorney General’s Office received a Citizen Action Complaint from the Freedom Foundation against SEIU 775 alleging multiple violations of the state’s campaign finance disclosure laws.”
The investigation uncovered $1.39 million in improper reporting, including contributions both to and from the union. The political action committee reported the proper amount of political expenditures, but the union itself did not. The attorney general filed the lawsuit after reviewing information uncovered by the Public Disclosure Commission.
“The Commission reported that SEIU 775 had not violated state law on the majority of the allegations,” the attorney general noted. “However, it may have violated the requirement to report in-kind contributions of staff time to operate and manage its political action committee.”
The investigation also uncovered the union misreported staff time, office space, postal and Web services and telephones used for its political action committee. The attorney general’s office first filed its complaint Sept. 24 with the Thurston County Superior Court before it was referred to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Labor unions have substantial influence beyond just political contributions, including mobilizing crowds in support of or opposition to candidates. Alongside corporations, unions are some of the most generous contributors during elections, according to the the Center for Responsive Politics.
Labor unions usually, but not always, support Democratic candidates. Federal and state agencies uncovered a long list of purposeful and accidental union reporting issues for both political and nonpolitical activities each year.
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