PDC to investigate union representative’s use of public facilities for political endorsement
EFF asks PDC to expand scope of investigation

Evergreen Freedom Foundation

9/30/05

OLYMPIA, WA —The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has decided to investigate a complaint filed by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) against a representative of the Federal Way Education Association (FWEA), a local affiliate of the Washington Education Association (WEA). The complaint stated that union representatives violated state law by using the district's internal mail system to distribute union candidate endorsements to school employees.

The FWEA candidate endorsement was distributed in all 37 schools in the Federal Way School District. State law (RCW 42.17.130) and PDC guidelines prohibit the use of a school's internal mail system to communicate political endorsements.

Today EFF urged the PDC to investigate the actions of FWEA president Shannon Rasmussen and provided a list of all FWEA building representatives across the district. "This issue is not about any one teacher," said Ryan Bedford, a legal analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. "The real blame lies with the Washington Education Association and its local affiliates. The union knows the law and jeopardizes teachers by failing to adequately train them."

Additional Information
EFF follow-up letter to PDC (9/29/05)
EFF files complaint with PDC (9/21/05)
WEA puts teachers at risk of violating campaign finance law (8/19/05)