BIAW and Rossi Conducting Stealth Campaign for Governor

Public Disclosure be Damned! So say Dino Rossi and the BIAW in their early starting rematch with Governor Christine Gregoire. Both are conducting efforts to get Rossi elected and both are not reporting to the PDC their real campaign efforts .

As Andrew over at the NW Progressive Blog writes in his post Walking for Washington, the BIAW (Building Industry Association of Washington) is the main funder behind the Walking for Washington PAC which it turns out is once again a "Walking for Rossi" PAC. They have been going door to door canvassing for a number of months now asking voters survey questions starting out with a "Would you vote for Rossi or Gregoire for Governor?"' first question.

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission reports that Walking for Washington has raised some $125,618 total. The BIAW gave $90,000 in cash and $15,193 in kind. The remainder was transferred from another BIAW PAC, It's Time for a Change, which has the same BIAW address and treasurer, as the Walking for Washington PAC.

Where the BIAW and it's Walking for Washington PAC skirt state law and are a stealth campaign, is that they never report for what candidate they are spending money doing the survey and voter id work for. They are trying to slide this work under the radar so to speak. They have never filed paperwork with the PDC declaring what candidate or candidates they are spending money supporting or opposing. They merely report expenditures for individual contractors with no mention of the race or candidate they are involved with.

In fact they repeatedly check off as no the statement "During the Reporting Period, did the committee make an independent expenditure (ie an expense not considered a contribution) supporting or opposing a state or local candidate?"

OK please explain to me how a committee which previously supported Rossi and that is asking voters about issues to micro target them and that asks them if they would vote for Rossi or Gregoire for Governor is not making an expenditure supporting Rossi and opposing Gregoire?

It is obvious that they are opposing Gregoire and supporting Rossi from both the questions asked about the Governor's race and the fact that this is the identical work of micro targeting based on a list of issues the voters support or oppose, just as they did for Rossi in his 2004 Gubernatorial campaign.

Meanwhile Rossi himself is running as a candidate without filing with the PDC as a candidate. He is doing this through his traveling and speaking for his foundation Forward Washington. David Goldstein writes about this in a post entitled "Forward Washington, Rewind Rossi"

We first wrote about this this in a post last December entitled "Rossi Starts Run for Governor"

So what's wrong with these guys? Why can't they be straightforward with Washington voters and admit what they are up to? Why are they bending over backward to skirt state law rather than be honest with the voters as to what they are up to.

Voters should interpret this behavior for what it is - dishonesty. It is a ridiculous attempt to hide campaign activities. Who do they think they are fooling? Voters should read Rossi's actions as indicative of the type of Governor he would be.

It portrays Rossi as a politician that you can't trust to tell the truth or that doesn't care to treat voters with respect. It's one of "I don't give a damn about public disclosure and the voters knowing what I am really doing." Let it be a warning - a flashing light or a buzzer that gives you pause and makes you wonder just how open and honest Rossi would be as Governor.

Rossi Starts Run for Governor 2008

Republican Dino Rossi has started his re-match campaign against Democrat Christine Gregoire for Washington State Governor in 2008. But he is hiding it behind a 501(c)(4) he has formed so that he can conceal the names and amounts of contributions supporting his efforts.

The Rossi for Governor campaign website is now not just promoting Rossi's book by Forward Books, LLC but also Rossi's latest effort to promote himself. It is called the Forward Washington Foundation. The Foundation claims to be "a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of issues affecting the future of Washington state, its citizens and its economy."

The funny thing is that the Home Page looks like a campaign website with a picture of of the Washington State Capitol and a big headline saying "A Message from Dino Rossi" and his signature at the bottom of the page.

Clicking on the About Us page you come up with a picture of none other than Dino Rossi who quickly introduces himself by saying he "is the President of the Forward Washington Foundation." The next sentence -" Dino was the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Washington's 2004 election," You would think that if he was trying to head up a nonpartisan organization he would have left out the word "Republican."

The About Us page also tells us that former legislator Dan McDonald is the only other Board Member. No mention is made that he is also a Republican. Dan McDonald doesn't rate a picture or even an office like VP. He is just a Board Member. No other Board members are mentioned.

But guess what is the background and experience of the Campaign Manager Executive Director of Forward Washington. She was "the Assistant Campaign Manager for Mike McGavick's 2006 U.S.Senate campaign and previously worked on Dino Rossi's 2004 gubernatorial campaign."

Rossi's The Foundation's campaign platform mission according to a press release issued on Dec. 20, 2006 is "focused on state-level issues such as improving the business climate-especially for small and medium-sized businesses, responsible state budgeting, accountability in state government and protecting the poor and the vulnerable. "

Any guesses as to who might be funding this new Foundation promoting Rossi for Governor? You probably need to look no further than Rossi's Public Disclosure Commission reports when he ran for Governor.