King5.com reports that the Building Industry Association of Washington is facing allegations involving campaign finance laws.
“They’re trying to buy these elections without complying with election laws,” said Michael Withey. The group is now threatening to sue the building association, claiming the BIAW specifically built a campaign chest of $3.5 million in donations while skirting finance laws, and using that chest to pay for “Dino Rossi for governor” billboards and ads about Governor Christine Gregoire.
The BIAW is republican candidate Rossi’s biggest financial supporter.
“We’re very politically active, we have nothing to hide, everything we do is perfectly legal,” said Erin Shannon, spokesperson for the BIAW. “Of course we were fundraising leading up to the gubernatorial election. Of course we were hitting our members, up asking them to contribute to the effort. And this is money for our PAC, which is registered with the state.”