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PDC pauses case against Lakewood council candidate over missing campaign-source report
Summary
The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission continued its hearing in the case against Charles Ames after staff alleged late and inaccurate C3/C4 filings for the 2023 campaign; the chair gave Ames time to locate a missing $300 source and file corrected reports with staff assistance to avoid a penalty.
Chair Jay Robert Leach continued a PDC adjudicative proceeding on Oct. 9, 2025 after staff accused Lakewood council candidate Charles Ames of failing to timely and accurately file required campaign disclosures.
Jennifer Hansen, a Public Disclosure Commission employee, told the panel that staff alleges Ames failed to file a required C3 (source-identification) report tied to a $300 deposit disclosed on a C4 summary and that several reports were filed between 303 and 516 days late. Hansen said staff would ask the chair to find violations of RCW 42.17A.235 and RCW 42.17A.240 and to assess an appropriate penalty if the matter were not corrected. "Staff would ask the chair to find a violation today of RCW 42.17A.235 and 240 for failure to timely accurately file C3 and C4 reports," Hansen said.
Leach told Ames the panel would prefer to resolve the matter without imposing an economic penalty if Ames could complete the missing filings. The chair explained how Ames could use bank records to identify the July 11, 2023 deposit and directed Hansen to assist with filing the missing C3 and an amended C4 to pick up earlier activity. "I'm going to continue this hearing to a future calendar, and the staff will coordinate and let you know when that future hearing is," Leach said, offering a pathway that would allow the PDC to renew a memorandum of understanding and avoid a monetary penalty if the reports were filed and accurate.
Ames said he would search his records and contact the likely donor organization, which PDC deputy director Kim Bradford suggested might be the Washington Teamsters Legislative League, and he aimed to report back to Hansen within about 10 days (Ames mentioned a target of Oct. 15). The hearing was continued so staff can follow up and, if Ames files the required C3 and corrected C4, the PDC will consider resolving the case without imposing a penalty.
