MYNORTHWEST BLOG

Newly-formed PAC with cast of familiar faces floods money into Seattle City Attorney race

Oct 13, 2021, 10:19 AM | Updated: Oct 18, 2021, 5:53 am

Seattle City Attorney race...

(MyNorthwest photo)

(MyNorthwest photo)

Just over a dozen independent political action committees have been formed over the course of the 2021 election cycle in Seattle, with a new one joining their ranks this week in support of City Attorney candidate Ann Davison.

Seattle conservatives aim for influence behind the scenes

In Seattle, PACs are known more formally as Independent Expenditure Committees (IEC), with the ability to raise and spend large sums of money in support of whomever they choose. They operate outside of spending limits imposed on individual fundraising conducted by candidates, and cannot coordinate with candidates in any way.

IECs have already poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Seattle’s mayoral race, and now, one appears to be turning its attention toward a November showdown for city attorney.

A new IEC registered as “Seattle for Common Sense” (SCS) submitted filings with the Seattle Ethics and Election Committee on Oct. 4, with a team of familiar faces operating as its officers. That includes Philip Lloyd, who served as treasurer on the now-defunct Compassion Seattle homelessness initiative, SPD’s African-American Advisory Council Chair Victoria Beach, SoDo Business Improvement Area Director Erin Goodman (who also served as an officer on Compassion Seattle’s initiative), and 2017 Seattle City Attorney candidate Scott Lindsay.

You may recognize Lindsay’s name as the one behind a now-infamous 2019 report on Seattle’s so-called “prolific offenders.” He’s also credited as a co-producer for KOMO’s follow-up to its “Seattle is Dying” feature, titled “Fight for the Soul of Seattle,” which garnered criticism from several local homelessness advocates. Prior to running for city attorney, he served as a public safety advisor to then-Mayor Ed Murray.

Just a week-and-a-half after it filed with the SEEC, Seattle for Common Sense had already raised over $280,000 in cash contributions. That’s on the strength of several large-scale donations, including $25,000 from local real estate CEO John Goodman, $10,000 from Microsoft President Brad Smith, $5,000 from prominent Trump donor (and Goodman’s business partner) George Petrie, and $5,000 from Jordan Selig, the daughter of another well-known Trump supporter and billionaire real estate mogul Martin Selig.

Concerns build over ‘short-circuiting’ of Seattle’s fundraising rules for campaigns

Jordan Selig had also reportedly offered her support as a volunteer to the Kshama Sawant recall campaign in September 2020.

SCS appears to have hit the ground running, having spent almost $68,000 on 105,000 campaign mailers in support of Davison’s candidacy for city attorney. During the August primary, a separate PAC registered as the “Concerned Taxpayer Accountability Center” spent $20,000 on mailers similarly promoting Davison.

The group also launched a website last week titled “The Real NTK,” highlighting a series of inflammatory Tweets Thomas-Kennedy posted during protests in 2020. The site lists a stated goal to to show “why Nicole Thomas-Kennedy is unfit to be Seattle City Attorney — in her own words.”

Petrie, Goodman, and Jordan Selig have all also donated to a separate IEC in support of mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell, while Petrie and Goodman donated a combined $100,000 to Compassion Seattle between April and May of 2021.

Davison has raised nearly $300,000 in individual contributions to her campaign. Her opponent, Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, has brought in over $335,000.

MyNorthwest Blog

Image: A Santa Claus display can be seen ahead of the opening of the Seattle Christmas Market in No...

Paul Holden and Steve Coogan

Seattle holiday season events: Where to go to get into the spirit

The holiday season is here and there are plenty of places to go and experiences to enjoy, both in Seattle and across the Puget Sound region.

7 days ago

satellites, night sky...

Bill Kaczaraba

Opinion: With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world

American author Max Ehrmann wrote a poem in 1921. It was distributed in a Christmas card in 1933,

12 months ago

Gingerbread House...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio wins Bonneville Gingerbread House competition

In a tradition unlike any other, the second annual Bonneville Seattle Gingerbread House competition was fierce between multiple departments.

12 months ago

recount election king...

Bill Kaczaraba

Kaczaraba: It took an election for me to figure out I don’t live in Edmonds

I was excited to get to vote on Edmonds mayor because I had been seeing signs all over the neighborhood. But it was not to be.

1 year ago

All-Star Game T-Mobile Park...

Bill Kaczaraba

Kaczaraba: MLB All-Star Game a picture perfect day for Seattle

What we witnessed this week was a spectacular Seattle. Homeless encampments were gone. Sidewalks were power-washed. There were even baskets with flowers hanging.

1 year ago

summer solstice...

Bill Kaczaraba

Kaczaraba: Summer solstice brings season of concerts, hikes

The summer solstice has come and gone, ushering in everyone's favorite season across the Pacific Northwest.

1 year ago

Newly-formed PAC with cast of familiar faces floods money into Seattle City Attorney race