EDITORIAL: Vacancies on PDC demand attention, action
A recall of Gov. Bob Ferguson over Washington's Public Disclosure Commission is an absurd overreach, but the effort has had the desired effect - bringing attention to the governor's lack of action and accountability.
As has recently come to the public's attention, Ferguson has failed to fill vacancies on the commission tasked with overseeing transparency in state elections. One seat on the five-member commission has been open for 14 months - since before Ferguson took office in January 2025; another has been vacant since August.
Rather than appoint replacements within 30 days, as required by state law, the governor has allowed the openings to languish. The commission needs at least three members to form a quorum and conduct business; media outlet Washington State Standard reports that one member was unable to attend a recent meeting, preventing the adoption of rules or the conduction of hearings.
That has led to a recall effort spearheaded by Conner Edwards, described by Washington State Standard as "an attorney known as a prodigious filer of campaign finance complaints." Edwards said: "I am just perplexed by this whole thing. If they have no ability to take official actions, that would be a real disaster. That would have a real detrimental effect on our elections in 2026."
Indeed, it is perplexing. Brionna Aho, the governor's communications director, said: "Our office has been actively working to fill the vacancies, and will continue to do so. We will provide a more detailed response in the response to the petition."
The Public Disclosure Commission is not a high-profile arm of state government, but it is an important one. As the commission's website explains: "We're here to promote confidence in Washington state's political process by helping voters and the public understand where money in politics comes from and where it's going."
The commission was created as part of Initiative 276, which passed with 72 percent of the statewide vote in 1972. "The public's right to know of the financing of political campaigns and lobbying and the financial affairs of elected officials and candidates far outweighs any right that these matters remain secret and private," reads the law - a statement that defines Washingtonians' demand for government transparency.
The PDC website provides the public with information about who donates to candidates and how that money is spent. The commission, meanwhile, conducts hearings about allegations of campaign finance violations.
During the 2024 election, for example, the PDC issued a total of $20,000 in fines to Let's Go Washington, a political action committee behind a slate of voter initiatives. The commission found the organization failed to report spending by subcontractors or confirm that its vendors didn't use subcontractors.
Last year, the commission issued a $20,000 fine against Green Jobs PAC - one of the groups opposing Let's Go Washington - for not disclosing how it spent $1 million until after the election.
Such oversight is essential for ensuring fair elections. And it is particularly important these days, when doubts about election integrity and allegations of election fraud are prominent.
Elected officials must mitigate those doubts and allegations by supporting the election infrastructure that has been constructed over several decades. Ferguson's failure to secure a functioning Public Disclosure Commission does not warrant a recall, but it does demand the attention of the public.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 7:07 AM.