Fraud claim filed against Eyman

By The Associated Press and Seattle Times staff

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Eyman disputed the veracity of the complaint last night, calling it "a slime attack" by his opponents.

The 16-page complaint alleges Eyman spent more than $26,000 of campaign funds for Initiative 864 on a fund-raising letter for his personal-compensation political-action committee.

The complaint was filed by TaxSanity.org, Taxpayers for Washington's Future and Permanent Defense.

It also alleged that Eyman and his associates fraudulently solicited contributions to I-864, improperly reported certain donations, failed to report certain expenditures and failed to meet certain reporting deadlines.

In a written statement, Eyman said the complaint is "filled with lies."

"We've bent over backwards to comply with the PDC's reporting requirements, and we'll work with them to answer any questions they have," Eyman wrote. "Our opponents will not succeed in derailing our taxpayer-protection efforts."

Vicki Rippie, PDC executive director in Olympia, said the complaint had not been reviewed as of late yesterday.

"Obviously we will do that in the next day or so and see if the complaint is sufficient. ... We'll move forward if that's the appropriate course of action," Rippie said.

Eyman is best known for initiatives that provided property-tax limits and $30 car license tabs.

He got in trouble two years ago for shifting more than $200,000 in campaign contributions into a for-profit committee that he could tap for a salary. He was fined $50,000 and barred from ever being a campaign treasurer. He later paid his legal bills, including the fines, by collecting a legal defense fund of about $120,000.
 
Eyman failed to gather enough signatures to force a public vote this fall on I-864, a plan to slash local property taxes.

Times staff reporter Sara Jean Green contributed to this report.