AG Ferguson statement on judgment in Tim Eyman campaign finance case

Tim Eyman

Attorney General Bob Ferguson offers the following statement on a Thurston County Superior Court decision that Tim Eyman intentionally committed numerous violations of campaign finance law:

"After years of Tim Eyman’s deceit, obstruction, and contempt of court, we took him to trial and held him accountable for receiving and concealing illegal kickbacks. After twenty years of violating campaign finance laws, including two previous judgments against him, Eyman’s day of reckoning has arrived.

“Today’s ruling is clear — Eyman’s conduct was illegal and intentional. Today’s historic campaign finance penalty – the largest in our state ever levied against an individual — is necessary to hold him accountable for some of the most egregious campaign finance violations ever uncovered by the Washington Public Disclosure Commission and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

“Eyman is a repeat violator of our state’s voter-approved campaign finance laws. On multiple occasions, the state caught him illegally and intentionally concealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions that ended up in his personal bank account.

“The last time Eyman admitted intentionally violating the law, he signed a legally enforceable agreement to never again act as a treasurer on any political committee. That extraordinary remedy proved unsuccessful at stopping Eyman’s illegal conduct. Consequently, our office pursued the next logical step — a prohibition on directing the finances of any political committee.

“Today the judge granted that remedy. This will not prevent Eyman from conceiving, drafting and promoting initiatives. It will, however, stop his practice of directing financial kickbacks into his personal bank account.”