Paul Barden Fined For Accepting Illegal Campaign Contributions

SEATTLE - Former congressional candidate Paul Barden has paid a $25,000 penalty for violating federal campaign-finance laws.

Barden, his former campaign treasurer and one of his top strategists, in an agreement finalized recently with the Federal Election Commission, acknowledged that they accepted $33,840 in excessive contributions in Barden's failed 1992 run for Congress.

"We wouldn't have done it if we knew we were doing wrong," Barden, a former Republican state legislator and King County councilman, said yesterday. Most of the excessive contributions were from a King County manager who loaned Barden $30,000 for his campaign.

Federal law allows individuals to contribute as much as $1,000 per candidate per race. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 considers loans from individuals to be contributions until they are repaid.

Barden's campaign also accepted six other excessive contributions totaling $3,840, the FEC said.