PDC finds Committee to Elect Riley Fleury violated disclosure rules; orders amended reports and $2,100 in fines

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission on Jan. 22, 2026, determined that the Committee to Elect Riley Fleury committed multiple campaign-disclosure violations during the 2024 election cycle and ordered the committee to amend its filings and pay penalties totalling $2,100, with $700 of that amount suspended pending compliance.

Susie Giles Klein, assistant attorney general representing PDC staff, told the commission staff had shown “by a preponderance of the evidence” that the committee filed numerous late C3 and C4 reports, submitted expenditure reports missing required details and knowingly omitted known in‑kind contributions from its C4s. Staff recommended penalties under the agency schedule and asked the commission to require the committee to amend filings to disclose fair-market values for political advertising provided by a third party.

Why the decision matters: PDC staff said the committee’s late and incomplete filings reduced public transparency during key pre-election windows and that unreported in-kind advertising and aggregated contributions over the statutory limit undermine the public’s ability to trace campaign funding.

What the commission found and ordered - Untimely filings and incomplete expenditure detail: Staff documented multiple late C3/C4 filings and several C4 expenditure lines that omitted the number of printed items purchased (required reporting detail). - Unreported in-kind advertising: Staff presented photographs, a sworn affidavit from Michael McDaniel describing the erection of large banners in August 2024, and evidence that photos of the candidate were posted on the campaign website. Tanya Mercer, the PDC compliance officer who investigated the case, testified she concluded the banners constituted political advertising and an in-kind contribution that should have been reported on the committee’s C4s. Mercer told the commission vendor checks suggested similar banners would cost “between $4,000 and $6,000.” - Over-limit contribution: Staff established that committee treasurer Larry Jensen’s aggregated contributions and a loan amounted to approximately $1,447.25, which exceeds the $1,200 statutory individual limit and therefore constituted an over-limit contribution. - Sponsor-identification failures: Staff demonstrated that the campaign website and certain advertisements lacked the required sponsor identification (the committee name, address and the required “paid for by” statement) and that staff had asked for corrections that were not made.

The commission’s order (summary): After deliberation the commission imposed a combined sanction package totaling $2,100 with $700 suspended conditioned on corrective steps. The terms include: amending the outstanding C3/C4 reports to include required quantities for printed materials and either the actual costs or a documented fair-market value for the banners; payment of unsuspended fines; and deadlines for compliance to be set in the written order (the chair indicated staff would allow reasonable time and suggested 60 days for obtaining fair-market valuations where necessary). The commission’s motion also required that suspensions be conditioned on timely filing of the amended reports and that the committee pursue reasonable steps to obtain cost information from the banner vendor or, if the vendor refuses, to document fair-market value via industry estimates.

Candidate’s response: Riley Fleury, the committee’s candidate, testified he was a first-time candidate who relied on his treasurer and on PDC guidance, said he did not pay for or control the disputed banners and that he was invited to view the banners and later posted a photo on the campaign website. Fleury argued the third-party placement of signs was beyond his control; the commission cited his presence at the unveiling and use of the photos on the campaign site as evidence supporting staff’s theory of coordination.

Representative quotes - Susie Giles Klein (PDC counsel): “A preponderance of the evidence supports finding that the committee violated multiple provisions of the FCPA.” - Tanya Mercer (PDC compliance officer): “I do believe that it does constitute a contribution to the committee.” - Riley Fleury (candidate): “I do not own them. I do not possess them. I have no control over them whatsoever.”

Next steps and appeals: The commission’s written order will state exact timelines and conditions; the chair noted those deadlines begin on the date of the written order. The committee will receive the order by mail or email and has the right to seek judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Context: Staff recommended a larger aggregate penalty initially; commissioners adjusted fines and suspensions in their deliberations to reflect mitigating and aggravating factors, including the committee’s status as a first-time campaign and the degree of staff cooperation versus nonresponse from principals during the investigation.

The PDC meeting then moved on to other agenda items.