As expected, Dino Rossi is asking King County Superior Court to kill the subpoena that would force him to testify in the lawsuit filed by Faith Ireland and Rob Utter, two former State Supreme Court Justices whose complaint states that Rossi worked with the BIAW to raise money for their independent pro-Rossi effort. (It’s against state ethics rules for candidates to work in concert with independent groups whose fundraising limits far exceed those of the candidates.)
The BIAW’s independent effort to raise money for Rossi is itself being challenged by the Attorney General’s office because the Public Disclosure Commission ruled earlier that the BIAW did not disclose its fundraising activity to the public—a major violation. But that’s—literally—another story.
The case that Rossi worked with the BIAW to raise money for Rossi’s gubernatorial run is laid out in the complaint , but perhaps the most compelling charge in Ireland and Utter’s case has not been picked up on in press accounts. Press accounts have focused solely on May 2007 minutes from a Master Builders Association meeting which report that Rossi called senior members of the Master Builders Association—a BIAW affiliate that was being targeted by the BIAW to raise money for the BIAW’s Rossi campaign—to ask if the MBA would contribute.
In the press accounts, Rossi disputes that the calls were direct fundraising asks.
However, the complaint adds this point: After the phone calls, Rossi followed up by taking two of the MBA officers he’d already called, plus the MBA’s executive director, out lunch. “At that lunch,” the complaint says, “Dino Rossi discussed the pending solicitation for the BIAW’s Rossi PAC.”
The press has not asked Rossi why he took the MBA members out to lunch. If Rossi has to comply with the subpoena, perhaps Knoll Lowney, Ireland and Utter’s lawyer, will get to.
Wingnuts just shrug at this.
Their politicians get a pass on this stuff.
Anything is above board if it means their people win.
Another Gregoire Political hatchetjob…just like the GOP v. R debacle that got tossed.
Gregoire is showing moderate voters that she will sue if she disagrees with you!!
Folks don’t like lawsuit happy lawyers…including ex-Supreme Court Justices who sue when the timing makes it crystal clear it is yet another Gregoire Political Hatchet job.
Gregoire’s lawsuit machine is really backfiring on her.
Gregoire will do anything to deflect, marginalize or minimize the issues like the State Budget Deficit and $8 Billion of increased spending which are important to the majority of voters.
Gregoire===Chicken Little of political hatchet job lawsuits.
@2
That was a hatchet job and thankfully it got tossed. But this, looks to be a major violation of election law and the way we find out f it is or isn’t is though the courts.
Like the righties like to say, “If he’s innocent, then he has nothing to worry about.”
Robert Utter was one of the finest, most respected individuals to ever sit on this state’s Supreme Court. Accusing him of hackery is bullshit of the first order. He cares about the rule of law. You wingnuts would not understand such a motivation for filing suit.
Republicans:
Deny, confuse and continue breaking the law as long as it means an advantage. Just like Sarah Palin can try and claim she was vindicated instead of the report showing she broke government ethics laws.
They know that they will not be prosecuted – Bush has emasculated the Justice department and McKenna will stall until after the election and give a hand slap to his buddy Rossi for the illegal campaigning.
And who is litigating? The same guy Knoll? Nothing to see here move along.
@5:
I’m pretty confident that applies to both parties. If there is something about Rossi’s association with the BIAW then so be it. Roast him for it. But let’s be fair and turn the same eye on Gregoire. Her getting a pass for the Casino money? Whatever. Her getting a pass by every body on this blog for finances you’d roast a republican in a fire for? Whatever.
I’m actually for letting the Indian Casinos keep all their money. I’m pretty sure they’ve been on the short end of the stick for oh ,,,, a long time now. BUT Gregoire trying to say that there is no I’ll scratch your wallet if you scratch mine is pretty lame.
I question the timing of this.
Why now?
Why not much, much earlier?
The Gregoire Team HorsesAss carefully timed this lawsuit to throw dirt over the Budget issue and cast aspersions.