Attorney General Bob Ferguson names Facebook and Google in campaign finance lawsuit
Jun 4, 2018, 5:54 PM
AG Bob Ferguson recently filed a campaign finance suit alleging that Facebook and Google failed to keep legal records. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
A new lawsuit from Attorney General Bob Ferguson alleges that both Facebook and Google neglected to maintain legally required information for Washington state political advertising. The suit was precipitated by citizen action notices in April.
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“Washington’s political advertising disclosure laws apply to everyone, whether you are a small-town newspaper or a large corporation,” Ferguson said. “Washingtonians have a right to know who’s paying for the political advertising they see.”
Facebook received $3.4 million in payments and Google $1.5 million from political candidates and committees in the last decade, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. Advertisers are required to provide sources on the name of the candidate or measure supported or opposed, the total cost of the advertising, and who paid for it, among additional information. It must also be made available to the public.
Neither Google nor Facebook reported any of this information. They have 20 days to respond to the lawsuit, in which the state seeks penalties and injunctive relief.
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