SEIU secretly lobbied the Washington State Redistricting Commission, court filings allege
A lobbyist for SEIU 1199NW failed to report lobbying activities related to the Washington State Redistricting Commission in 2021, recent court records allege.
The documentation was filed Nov. 15 in Thurston County Superior Court by Arthur West, an Olympia resident and open government advocate, as part of a lawsuit filed against the commission in August. West is suing the Redistricting Commission and the state for withholding and deleting public records.
In court filings last week, the state admitted that one of the 2021 Redistricting Commissioners deleted communications on a private phone, but claimed those records were not subject to West’s public records request.
West told McClatchy that the state Legislature recently disclosed more communications that the Redistricting Commission intentionally withheld from him in previous public records requests, and that those communications included the unreported lobbying activity by SEIU lobbyist Lindsey Grad.
The text messages disclosed by the Legislature showed communications between Redistricting Commissioner April Sims, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and Grad in a group chat on Nov. 15, 2021, the day that redistricting maps were supposed to be finalized. At one point Grad tells Sims that “people are willing to do more when and if it’s helpful.”
Additionally, texts showed Grad congratulating Sims in the group chat just minutes after the Commission voted to finalize the redistricting maps.
“This circus never would have made it to the finale without you, you were a ring master par excellence,” Grad told Sims in the text. “I seriously hope you get some good sleep after driving safe, what a triumph of your fortitude and skills!”
Lobbyists are required to file monthly reports called an L2 that disclose their compensation, other expenditures related to lobbying, and lobbying activities. The reports are required to be filed monthly by all registered lobbyists in the state, whether lobbying occurred that month or not.
Grad’s November 2021 L2 report did not include reports of any lobbying activities related to the Redistricting Commission.
“Instead, the L2 states that 100% of this lobbying activity was lobbying the Legislature in regard solely to health care issues, and states that 0% of lobbying activity was directed at state agencies,” West’s suit said.
Because the Redistricting Commission intentionally withheld public records from being released, West alleged that it “facilitated secret lobbying of the WSRC in regard to their proposed redistricting maps that took place outside of the public’s view in the apparent absence of the reporting required by State Law.
“Unreported and concealed lobbying activities of a well-financed, influential and powerful organization such as the SEIU in the redistricting process should be a matter of legitimate concern regardless of whether one agrees with the majority of their progressive agenda,” West added in court filings. “The concealment of this type of back room activity in regard to redistricting does not serve the public interest regardless of what private goals a wealthy and influential lobbying organization may be attempting to further.”
SEIU is the largest healthcare worker’s union in the U.S., according to the SEIU 1199NW website.
The next hearing in the lawsuit against the Redistricting Commission and the state is scheduled for March 3, 2023.
Additionally, on Monday, Dec. 5, the Public Disclosure Commission opened an enforcement case to do an assessment of facts regarding the SEIU lobbying, but Kim Bradford, deputy director for the PDC, told McClatchy that the assessment could take up to 90 days. If necessary, a formal investigation can then be opened by the PDC.
Perhaps coincidentally, SEIU also donated over $80,000 to multiple lawmakers on Nov. 15, 2021, including Fitzgibbon and Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, as well as Republicans such as Rep. Gina Mosbrucker and Sen. Phil Fortunato, according to Grad’s L2 from that month.
SEIU did not respond to McClatchy’s request for comment.
The Redistricting Commission meets once every 10 years to redraw legislative and congressional districts, and the Legislature is charged with appointing the four commissioners. In addition to Sims, the other members were Paul Graves, a former state representative from Maple Valley; Joe Fain, a former Republican Senator, and President and CEO of the Bellevue Chamber; and Brady Piñero Walkinshaw, the CEO of Grist, a leading national environmental media organization. Sarah Augustine, executive director of the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties, chaired the commission.
In February, the Redistricting Commission admitted to breaking the law when it conducted the redrawing of state districts secretly, and without any public deliberation. The commission came to a settlement agreement by adopting rules that would prevent them from conducting the process behind closed doors in the future.
This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "SEIU secretly lobbied the Washington State Redistricting Commission, court filings allege."
