Spokane County’s Democratic party and two of its former officials have agreed to pay a five-figure fine to the state for violations of campaign finance laws.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a Thurston County judge has accepted a settlement in a case against Spokane’s Democratic party, its former executive director, Jim CastroLang, and former treasurer Justin Galloway.
Ferguson’s office sued the trio in May 2017, alleging they filed at least 180 required disclosure reports either late or not at all. Those reports included contributions made to candidates and their expenditures. Ferguson also alleged the party didn’t report any of its payments to CastroLang between September 2015 and March 2017.
The judge ordered the Spokane County Democratic Central Committee to pay $72,000 in penalties, but suspended half of it. If there are no additional violations within the next four years, the rest of the penalty would be erased. The judge also imposed more than $11,000 in court costs and fees, bringing the total penalty to about $47,000.
The party will pick up most of the cost with a 20-thousand dollar payment within a month and nine thousand a year for the next three years. CastroLang is ordered to pay $1,500, Galloway $500.