August 26th, 2004
Complaint filed with Washington State PDC on Eyman's Fundraising
Fraud, Abuse, Deceit, Lying - You name it- Eyman continues to violate Washington State's Public Disclosure Laws

Seattle, WA, August 26 -- A formal complaint filed today with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) alleges that during the final weeks of its failed signature drive, Tim Eyman fraudulently spent over $26,000 of I-864 campaign funds on a fundraising letter for his personal compensation PAC, "Help Us Help Taxpayers" (HUHT).

The complaint -- filed jointly by TaxSanity.org, Taxpayers for Washington's Future (TWF), and Permanent Defense -- accuses Tim Eyman, his associates, and his three PACs of a broad array of campaign finance and public disclosure violations, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. The 16 page complaint includes supporting documentation.

"Once again, Tim Eyman has been caught lying to contributors," said David Goldstein of TaxSanity.org. "He promised to keep campaign contributions separate from his compensation fund... a promise he never intended to keep." The complaint suggests that since its inception in June of 2003, HUHT's operations have been entirely subsidized by "Voters Want More Choices" (VWMC), including over $10,000 of reported in-kind contributions.

Steve Zemke of TWF called the misreported June 2004 expenditure "doubly deceptive" because it occurred at a time Mr. Eyman was aggressively soliciting funds for what he claimed to be a close I-864 signature drive. Mr. Zemke, a veteran of many successful initiative campaigns, said Mr. Eyman deliberately misled contributors about where their money was going: "I-864 was dead in the water, and Tim knew it. Yet he continued to solicit contributions, while diverting money to his compensation fund."

Andrew Villeneuve of Permanent Defense emphasized that the complaint includes a number of charges that together establish a pattern of abuse and deception. "These violations aren't just isolated incidents. They're part of a long-running history of infractions. The PDC should demand full compliance with the law and take immediate action to ensure that Eyman is following the rules like everyone else."

The complaint is available for download here.

For more information:

Contact: David Goldstein
TaxSanity.Org
david@taxsanity.org

Contact: Steve Zemke
Taxpayers for Washington's Future
stevezemke@msn.com

Contact: Andrew Villeneuve
Permanent Defense
permanentdefense@yahoo.com


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