By BRIAN KELLY | Bainbridge Island Review
Bob Scales, a Bainbridge Island attorney and former city councilman running for the post of Kitsap County prosecuting attorney, has run afoul of election rules covering campaign materials.
Scales said Monday that he was notified today by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) that someone had raised concerns about the signs, hats and T-shirts sported by supporters during last week’s Fourth of July parade through downtown Winslow.
Turns out, the campaign materials did not include the words “elect” or “for.”
The Washington Administrative Code requires non-incumbent candidates to specifically use those words on campaign signs and other materials.
The complaint against the Scales campaign was lodged by a consultant for Progressive Strategies NW, a political consulting firm that is working for incumbent Prosecutor Russ Hauge, a Democrat who is seeking another term.
Scales said his campaign is taking steps to add the words to signs and things that will be used in his race.
He also said photos from the parade that show the signs and other materials will be removed from Facebook.
“I apologize for any confusion that this oversight has caused,” Scales said. “My campaign staff are working hard to correct the problem and ensure that all of our campaign materials conform to the PDC requirements.”
The PDC, the state agency that serves as a watchdog on campaign financing, was contacted via email about Scales’ campaign materials Monday morning. The agency then notified Scales by phone about the problems with his signs and other materials.
The email that complained about Scales’ campaign was sent by Nic Van Putten, who works for Progressive Strategies NW, a political consulting firm based in Tacoma.
Van Putten did not immediately return a call for comment from the Review on Monday.
Progressive Strategies NW is working for Hauge, one of Scales’ opponents in the race.
According to campaign finance reports from the Hauge campaign on file with the PDC, Hauge paid Progressive Strategies NW a retainer of $2,500 on May 1 to work on his campaign.
According to Hauge’s candidate registration form, Alex Van Putten of Progressive Strategies NW is serving as the incumbent’s treasurer for Hauge’s 2014 campaign.
Four candidates are running this year for prosecutor.
Hauge, like Scales, is a Democrat. The other candidates are Tina Robinson, a Republican from Port Orchard; and Bruce Danielson, an Independent Party candidate from Port Orchard.
