Commission trying to move quickly on new Eyman investigation

OLYMPIA — State Public Disclosure Commission officials say a new inquiry into the finances of anti-tax activist Tim Eyman should be wrapped up within 90 days, but they won't set an end date.

The agency is looking into a complaint filed last week regarding a letter Eyman sent to backers soliciting donations for his legal--

defense fund. The letter asks for checks up to $1,000 and promises anonymity.

"We're trying to verify that the money he is soliciting is being used for his legal-defense fund," said Susan Harris, assistant PDC director.

Eyman could not be reached for comment yesterday, but has said in recent days he had done nothing wrong and is following state law.

The PDC inquiry is similar to one last year, when Eyman sent out a letter asking backers for donations to his legal-defense fund, Harris said.

That letter asked for "a generous financial gift" to "Tim Eyman, Taxpayer Advocate." The letter also promised anonymity to donors, stating that their gifts were not political donations.

At the time, the PDC said Eyman could use the money to pay his legal bills. But if the money went to a political committee, it would fall under a state law requiring disclosure of political donations. After talks with Eyman, agency officials said he'd satisfied their concerns and they had no reason to doubt the money was being used for legal defenses.

Steve Zemke, an Eyman critic, filed a formal complaint with the PDC last week that again raised questions about donations to Eyman's legal-defense fund.

His complaint stated that Eyman's new solicitation "seems to be a pretty transparent effort to allow campaign funds to be sent directly to him without being disclosed to the public."

"It seems like a nice way to skirt public disclosure so he can continue his campaign efforts," Zemke said in a phone interview yesterday. "Here he is raising money for a legal-defense fund. At the same time, he is donating services and time to the Initiative 807 campaign. Most people can't donate their time and services for free."

I-807 would tighten state spending limits and make it harder to raise taxes. Eyman has said he won't draw a salary unless the initiative makes the ballot.

Harris has said that if the donations go to Eyman's legal defenses, "we wouldn't have a concern. But if he was using it to subsidize his living expenses so he could continue his campaign work, we might have a concern."

PDC officials yesterday would not discuss details of the investigation.

"We're moving as fast as we can," PDC Executive Director Vicki Rippie said. "We want to get this concluded and move on."

Last year, Eyman paid the state $50,000 to settle claims he had diverted campaign donations for personal use. He was permanently banned from having control over any political-action committee's financial accounts.

The anti-tax activist was investigated after he admitted lying about taking campaign donations from a political-action committee, Permanent Offense, for personal expenses.

Eyman revealed he had taken about $45,000 in salary at the end of 2000 and had planned to take $157,000 more in 2002. He maintained he did nothing illegal.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.