Today, the Washington State Court of Appeals (Division II) published a ruling in State of Washington v. Tim Eyman et al (No. 56653-2-II), the landmark campaign finance enforcement case brought by Attorney General Bob Ferguson against perennial public disclosure law offender Tim Eyman. The Court of Appeals held that the trial court (Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon) did not err in reaching most of its conclusions and overturned only a few facets of the judgment against Eyman, remanding the case back to Dixon for further proceedings, including a potential reduction of the penalty assessed.

Northwest Progressive Institute founder and executive director Andrew Villeneuve, who has organized opposition to Eyman’s initiatives for over twenty years and authored some of the complaints that later became lawsuits against Eyman by Ferguson, made the following statement after reviewing the Court’s ruling.

“Tim Eyman has once again had his day in court and lost. He desperately wants to escape accountability for his many serious and willful violations of the Fair Campaign Practices Act, but he will not be receiving a get out of jail free card from the appellate courts. The denouement of this case has not changed: Tim Eyman broke the law and will remain responsible for the consequences of his illegal, unethical, and deceptive behavior.”

“NPI thanks the Court of Appeals for its thoroughness. It’s evident from the ruling that the judges examined this complex case carefully and thoughtfully before returning a verdict. While not every aspect of Judge Dixon’s ruling was upheld, the key findings were affirmed, and that’s welcome news. This decision bodes well for the future of campaign finance law enforcement in Washington State.”