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Candidates who advanced to general election face higher recommended fines; PDC imposes scaled suspensions
Summary
The PDC applied higher recommended penalties for candidates who proceeded past the primary, imposing larger base fines (examples: Amber Wise and George Consuelo) with suspended portions that convert to fines per missed subsequent report through the general election.
Staff told commissioners that candidates who proceeded past the primary were recommended higher penalties to reflect continued reporting obligations. Amber Wise, a candidate for Woodinville city council, said health issues interfered with timely filing; Chair Leach found a violation, imposed an $800 fine with $675 suspended, and explained that $125 of the suspended amount would become due for each missed report up through the general election and the post‑election report.
Similarly, George Consuelo, a candidate for Pierce County charter review commissioner, said he worked 60‑hour weeks, had a young campaign team, and had filed reports by Sept. 17; Chair Leach imposed a $800 penalty with $675 suspended and clarified the same incremental trigger: a $125 portion of the suspended fine becomes due for each missed report. Brett Johnson, who had a prior full hearing with a $5,000 penalty for other registration failures, was assessed $1,000 with $750 suspended at this hearing reflecting his history.
The commission applied consistent conditions across cases: pay the unsuspended portion within 30 days of the written order, file any missing reports in the same period, and avoid further violations for the next four years to retain suspended amounts.
