Tim Eyman

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Tim Eyman

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 4, 2020

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Tim Eyman (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Washington. He lost in the primary on August 4, 2020.

On February 12, 2020, Eyman announced that he would run for governor as a Republican. He had initially declared his candidacy as an independent.

Eyman is a political activist who has sponsored or worked on a number of ballot initiative campaigns in the state of Washington each year since at least 1998.

Eyman's initiatives have concerned two primary subjects: taxes and transportation. Eyman sponsored Initiative 976, designed to limit vehicle taxes and fees, which was on the 2019 ballot in Washington, where it was approved.

Tim Eyman's political committee is Permanent Offense.

Biography

Tim Eyman graduated in 1988 from Washington State University with a degree in business. Eyman lived in Mukilteo, Washington as of 2019. Eyman serves as the chair of Permanent Offense.

Eyman has sponsored or worked on a number of ballot initiative campaigns in the state of Washington each year since at least 1998. Of the Eyman initiatives that have been filed, 17 qualified for the ballot. As of 2019, eight of Eyman's measures were either partly or entirely overturned. Talking about initiatives, Eyman said, "Initiatives have two kinds of power. They have the power to create a law that forces elected officials to do something they'd rather not do. There's also the lobbying power that they have — the power of the vote itself."

Elections

2020

See also: Washington gubernatorial election, 2020

General election

General election for Governor of Washington

Incumbent Jay Inslee defeated Loren Culp in the general election for Governor of Washington on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jay Inslee (D)	56.6	2,294,243
		Loren Culp (R)	43.1	1,749,066
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	13,145

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,056,454
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Washington

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Washington on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jay Inslee (D)	50.1	1,247,916
✔		Loren Culp (R)	17.4	433,238
		Joshua Freed (R)	8.9	222,553
		Tim Eyman (R)	6.4	159,495
		Raul Garcia (R)	5.4	135,045
		Phil Fortunato (R)	4.0	99,265
		Don Rivers (D)	1.0	25,601
		Leon Lawson (Trump Republican Party)	0.9	23,073
		Liz Hallock (G)	0.9	21,537
		Cairo D'Almeida (D)	0.6	14,657
		Anton Sakharov (Trump Republican Party)	0.6	13,935
		Nate Herzog (Pre-2016 Republican Party)	0.5	11,303
	Submit photo	Gene Hart (D)	0.4	10,605
	Submit photo	Omari Tahir-Garrett (D)	0.4	8,751
	Submit photo	Ryan Ryals (Unaffiliated)	0.3	6,264
		Henry Dennison (Socialist Workers Party)	0.2	5,970
		GoodSpaceGuy (Trump Republican Party)	0.2	5,646
		Richard Carpenter (R)	0.2	4,962
	Submit photo	Elaina Gonzalez (Independent)	0.2	4,772
	Submit photo	Matthew Murray (R)	0.2	4,489
		Thor Amundson (Independent)	0.1	3,638
		Bill Hirt (R)	0.1	2,854
	Submit photo	Martin Wheeler (R)	0.1	2,686
	Submit photo	Ian Gonzales (R)	0.1	2,537
		Joshua Wolf (New Liberty Party)	0.1	2,315
		Cregan Newhouse (Unaffiliated)	0.1	2,291
	Submit photo	Brian Weed (Unaffiliated)	0.1	2,178
		Alex Tsimerman (Standup-America Party)	0.1	1,721
	Submit photo	Tylor Grow (R)	0.1	1,509
		Dylan Nails (Independent)	0.1	1,470
	Submit photo	Craig Campbell (Unaffiliated)	0.0	1,178
	Submit photo	William Miller (American Patriot Party)	0.0	1,148
	Submit photo	Cameron Vessey (Unaffiliated)	0.0	718
	Submit photo	Winston Wilkes (Propertarianist Party)	0.0	702
		David Blomstrom (Fifth Republic Party)	0.0	519
	Submit photo	David Voltz (Cascadia Labour Party)	0.0	480
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,938

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,488,959
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mathew Mackenzie (R)
• Phillip Bailey (D)
• Asa Palagi (Independent)
• Lisa Thomas (Unaffiliated)
• Matthew Heines (Unaffiliated)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tim Eyman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballot measure activity

Measures that qualified for the ballot

Of all the initiatives Tim Eyman has filed, 17 appeared on the statewide ballot. Of the measures that appeared on the ballot, six were defeated and 11 were approved. Of the approved measures, eight were partially or entirely overturned by the courts.

Tim Eyman's initiatives that appeared on the ballot
Year	Ballot measure	Result
2019	Washington Initiative 976, Limits on Motor Vehicle Taxes and Fees Measure (2019)	a/ot Overturned
2015	Washington Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase, Initiative 1366 (2015)	aot Approved, then overturned
2013	Washington Initiative 517 (2013), Full Text of Initiative	d Defeated
2012	Washington Two-Thirds Vote Required to Raise Taxes, Initiative 1185 (2012)	aot Approved, then overturned
2011	Washington Transportation, Initiative 1125 (2011)	d Defeated
2010	Washington Supermajority Vote Required in State Legislature to Raise Taxes, Initiative 1053 (2010)	aot Approved, then overturned
2009	Washington Lower Property Taxes, Initiative 1033 (2009)	dDefeated
2008	Washington Traffic Congestion Proposal, Initiative 985 (2008)	dDefeated
2007	Washington Rules for Approving Tax Increases, Initiative 960 (2007)	aot Approved, then partly invalidated
2005	Washington Mandatory Performance Audits, Initiative 900 (2005)	a Approved
2004	Washington Non-Tribal Gambling Establishments, Initiative 892 (2004)	dDefeated
2002	Washington License Tab Fees, Initiative 776 (2002)	aotApproved, then partly invalidated/unenforced
2001	Washington Initiative 747 (2001)	aot Approved, then overturned
2000	Washington 90% of Transportation Funds Spent on Roads Act, Initiative 745 (2000)	dDefeated
2000	Washington Tax Limitation Act, Initiative 722 (2000)	aot Approved, then overturned
1999	Washington Voter Approval for Tax Increases, Initiative 695 (1999)	aot Approved, then overturned
1998	Washington Initiative 200, Affirmative Action Initiative (1998)	a Approved

Ballot measure activity (current)

Washington Initiative 976, Limits on Vehicle Taxes Initiative (2019)

See also: Washington Initiative 976, Limits on Motor Vehicle Taxes and Fees Measure (2019)

Tim Eyman sponsored Washington Initiative 976, the Limits on Motor Vehicle Taxes and Fees Measure, which was on the ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the Legislature, a type of indirect initiated state statute, on November 5, 2019. It was approved. Initiative 976 was designed to set annual license fees for vehicles weighing under 10,000 pounds at $30 except voter-approved charges, base vehicle taxes on the Kelley Blue Book rather than the manufacturer's suggested retail price, and otherwise limit taxes and fees related to transportation. Eyman wrote, "Recently, state and local governments have jacked [car tab prices] back up again. Worst of all, they’re dishonestly calculating the value of our vehicles to artificially inflate the taxes we’re forced to pay. We get rid of the vehicles taxes and fees imposed since our earlier $30 tabs initiatives passed and explicitly repeal that dishonest vehicle valuation schedule. So it’ll cost you and your friends and family just $30 per year to license your cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycles and other vehicles. $30 means $30."

Ballot measure activity, 1997-2018

Tim Eyman has proposed, has sponsored, or was otherwise involved with initiatives every year since at least 1998. Most of all, his initiatives concerned two subjects: taxes and transportation. A recurrent initiative sponsored by Eyman through the years concerns $30 car tabs (vehicle license fees). Every year between 2003 and 2018, Tim Eyman filed multiple versions of initiatives related to taxes and/or transportation. More often than not, initiatives related to $30 car tabs were filed but did not make it to the ballot, which was the case in 2009 and 2012-2018. Eyman sponsored many initiatives that were designed to require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature or voter approval for any tax increases. All four times they've made the ballot—in 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2015—the initiatives were approved and later overturned.

Detailed below is a comprehensive history of Tim Eyman’s initiatives in chronological order from 1997 to 2018 (with historical measures at the top, descending to the most recent measures at the bottom).

1997-1998 See also: Washington Initiative 200, Affirmative Action Initiative (1998) Eyman launched his first initiative, Washington I-200, in 1997. Its goal was to ban racial preferences (prohibit affirmative action) in state higher education and government hiring and contracting. At first, Eyman had difficulty collecting enough signatures to place the initiative on the ballot, so he sought help from local talk show host John Carlson. After Carlson took over, the initiative received enough signatures to earn placement on the ballot. In November of 1998, voters approved the initiative. Initiative 1000 was filed for 2019 to reinstate affirmative action. Regarding I-1000, Eyman said, "Voters have accepted the principle that the government should treat everyone equally, without different rules for different races." 1999 See also: Washington Voter Approval for Tax Increases, Initiative 695 (1999) In 1999, Eyman tried again, with Washington I-695, which proposed replacing the old MVET with a flat $30 fee for yearly car registration fees, called "car tabs," while simultaneously requiring voter approval for any increases in any tax or fee increases at the state or local level. It was supported by the public but opposed by state officials. Enlisting a number of volunteers from different regions of the state, and working with fellow activists Monte Benham and Jack Fagan, Eyman succeeded in getting I-695 on the ballot, and it passed, despite opposition from a broad coalition—including some businesses, some labor groups, environmentalists, civic groups, and other organizations—who argued that the loss of revenue would wreak havoc on state government. Some major newspapers in Washington called for its rejection, and some cities, including officials in Seattle, passed resolutions opposing the initiative. After I-695 was passed, opponents contested the initiative in court. The initiative was declared unconstitutional by the Washington Supreme Court on the grounds that it violated the state's single-subject rule. Fearing voter backlash, the Washington State Legislature, with the cooperation of then-Governor Gary Locke, quickly acted to maintain the lower car tabs. 2000 See also: Washington Initiative 722 (2000) and Washington Initiative 745 (2000) After I-695, Eyman formed a political committee known as Permanent Offense. He began working on Washington I-722, which was designed to cap property taxes at 2 percent. With the support of groups such as the state asphalt pavers' union, he also sponsored Washington I-745, which would have mandated that 90 percent of all transportation funding go to roads. Unlike I-695, I-722 and I-745 were placed on the ballot largely through the use of paid signature gatherers. While there was some initial concern by his opponents, the courts in Washington had ruled that paid signature gathering is protected by the First Amendment. I-722 and I-745 both appeared on the November 2000 ballot. I-722 passed but I-745 was rejected. Political opponents contested I-722 in court, and it was overturned on the same grounds as I-695: that it was unconstitutional because it violated the single-subject rule. 2001 See also: Washington Property Tax Limitation, Initiative 747 (2001) For the 2001 ballot in Washington, Eyman focused on Washington I-747, which imposed a 1 percent cap on property tax growth in Washington. The measure was approved and then overturned. I-747 passed despite well-funded opposition. Opponents argued that it passed because voters did not realize that public services would actually be cut. Supporters said that those same services and costs were unnecessary and could not be justified. Opponents then said that Eyman had received help from the Code Revisor's Office in drafting the initiative and sued to force disclosure of the work the code revisor did. They won that battle in May 2002. The initiative, which had gone into effect after the election, was overruled by King County Judge Mary Roberts on June 13, 2006. Roberts argued, "The voters were incorrectly led to believe they were voting to amend I-722. The voters were misled as to the nature and content of the law to be amended, and the effect of the amendment upon it. The Washington Constitution forbids this." On November 8, 2007, the Washington Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote invalidated I-747 in the case of Washington Citizens Action v. State, asserting that the state's voters did not understand what they were voting for. 2002 See also: Washington License Tab Fees, Initiative 776 (2002) After the November 2001 election, Eyman began work on his next initiative, Initiative 776, which he called the "son of 695." It aimed to cut local car tabs fees, which I-695 and the Legislature did not remove earlier. The local car tab fees funded regional transportation in four Washington counties, including Sound Transit, a multi-county transportation agency in the Puget Sound area. The measure was approved, passing with 51% in favor. In 2003, King County Superior Court judge Mary Yu ruled against I-776, finding that it violated the state's single-subject rule because it sought "to achieve two unrelated purposes" -- to set license fees at $30 and to encourage a public revote on Sound Transit's light rail program." According to Tim Eyman, this ruling was later reversed by the state supreme court. I-776 was designed to require that license tab fees be $30 per year for motor vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Certain local-option vehicle excise taxes, such as those levied by Sound Transit, were successfully repealed by the measure. In 2006, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the section 6 of the initiative, which concerned repealing motor vehicle fees levied by Sound Transit, violated Section 23 of Article I of the Washington State Constitution which specifies that no law "impairing the obligations of contracts shall ever be passed." I-776 was found to have no legal effect of preventing Sound Transit from continuing to fulfill its contractual obligation to levy the MVET for so long as the bonds remained outstanding. Also on the ballot in 2002 was Referendum 51. Eyman said, “We lobbied hard and succeeded at getting R-51, the $8 billion transportation tax increase, put to a public vote. Special interest groups, politicians and the press wanted to pass it in Olympia. Voters rejected it 62 percent to 38 percent, so thanks to our efforts, an $8 billion transportation tax increase was never implemented. In 2003, Locke & the Legislature ignored the voters’ rejection of R-51’s $8 billion increase, and unilaterally imposed a $4 billion increase and blocked any attempt by citizens to challenge it.. but at least their $4 billion tax increase is $4 billion less than the $8 billion the voters rejected six months earlier. In other words, the net effect of our battles succeeded at saving taxpayers $4 billion.” 2003 In 2003, Eyman and co-sponsors filed multiple initiatives regarding light rails, property tax, and Initiative 807, which would have required the legislature to acquire a supermajority vote or the approval of voters for any tax increases. No Eyman measures qualified for the ballot in 2003. 2004 Property tax cut: See also: Washington Initiative 864 (2004) In 2004, Eyman announced Initiative 864, his refined initiative which aimed to cut local property taxes by 25 percent. Opponents called the proposal outrageous, saying it would cut funding to public services such as libraries, pools, parks, fire districts, and police departments. The idea for I-864 was originally announced in June 2003, but from July 2003 to January 2004, Eyman collected money to support his efforts. From January 2004 to July 2004, Eyman collected money for I-864 specifically. The initiative died on July 2, 2004. The group gathered about 155,000 signatures, short of the 198,000 valid signatures required for the Washington ballot in 2004. Critics, such as Andrew Villeneuve of Permanent Defense, Steve Zemke of Taxpayers For Washington's Future, David Goldstein of TaxSanity.org and Christian Sinderman, a Democratic campaign consultant, were eager to attribute Eyman's defeat to what they believed to be a shrinking base of supporters. Slot machines: See also: Washington Non-Tribal Gambling Establishments, Initiative 892 (2004) In March 2004, Eyman unveiled Initiative 892, a proposal to allow "electronic scratch ticket machines," otherwise known as slot machines, beyond Washington's tribal casinos. I-892 was embraced by the entertainment and gambling industry, which provided all of its funding, and it subsequently earned a place on the ballot in July 2004. Critics again organized a campaign against I-892 to fight the measure on the ballot. The campaign included groups such as Permanent Defense, TaxSanity.org, Taxpayers For Washington's Future, the Christian Coalition, Association of Washington Churches and Futurewise. Voters defeated I-892 with over 60 percent voting against the initiative. Eyman was a consultant to the sponsors of the measure. 2005 See also: Washington Mandatory Performance Audits, Initiative 900 (2005) After the defeat of Initiative 892 in November of 2004, Eyman immediately set to work on his next initiative, which eventually became Performance Audits of Government Initiative 900. Eyman continued to promote I-900 throughout the winter and into the spring. Eyman argued, “isn’t it worth spending the first $10 million of our tax money to learn whether the remaining $40 billion is being spent as cost effectively as possible?” With public support and backing from Mike Dunmire, Eyman gathered enough funds to pay paid-signature gatherers to obtain enough signatures to ensure Initiative 900 a spot on the 2005 general election ballot in Washington. Critics of Eyman contended that Initiative 900 was a poorly drafted, flawed measure that did not do anything to help the government. However, because many critics saw it as ineffective and not very harmful, it attracted little opposition. The public approved the measure in November of 2005. 2006 See also: and Washington Initiative 917 (2006) Eyman did not qualify any initiatives for the 2006 Washington ballot, but he did work on three initiatives which did not make the ballot: d R-65: This measure was intended as a veto referendum of the recently enacted Washington House Bill 2661. HB 2661 added sexual orientation to the list of categories against which discrimination in housing, lending, and employment were banned in the state of Washington. The signature-collection effort fell 7,000 signatures short of the 112,440 required signatures. d Eyman filed wording with the Washington Secretary of State for an initiative that would have prohibited public universities in the state from taking an applicant's race and gender into account when making admission decisions. d I-917 was an initiative that would have capped motor vehicle registration charges at $30 per year. A total of 266,006 signatures were submitted. Based on a random sampling test of 4% of the submitted signatures, which found a fairly typical invalidation rate of 17.96%, it was determined that there were insufficient signatures. 2007 See also: Washington Rules for Approving Tax Increases, Initiative 960 (2007) For the November 2007 ballot, Eyman and his group supported the Washington Taxpayer Protection Initiative, I-960, which was approved with 816,792 votes in favor and 777,125 against. I-960 required a two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval for tax increases, legislative approval of fee increases, the publication of information on tax-increasing bills and advisory votes on taxes enacted without voter approval. I-960 was wildly unpopular with Washington's political establishment. The measure was later overturned. 2008 See also: Washington Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative (2008) For the November 2008 ballot in Washington, Eyman supported the Washington Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative, I-985, which was defeated. 60.13 percent of voters voted against it. While Eyman's initiative was unsuccessful, Washington's KOMO-TV described 2008 as a successful year for Eyman in the larger political arena. That year, the Washington State Legislature unsuccessfully attempted to pass Washington House Bill 2601 with its new restrictions on the initiative process. HB 2601 was widely viewed as a legislative attempt to make it harder for Eyman to put ballot measures before the state's voters. 2009 See also: Washington Lower Property Taxes, Initiative 1033 (2009) I-1033 was on the November 3, 2009 ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the People, where it was defeated. The measure aimed to limit growth of certain state, county, and city revenue to annual inflation and population growth, not including voter-approved revenue increases, and any revenues collective above the limit would be used to reduce property tax levies. 2010 See also: Mukilteo City Red Light Camera Measure (November 2010) and Washington Supermajority Vote Required in State Legislature to Raise Taxes, Initiative 1053 (2010) Local measure Initiative 2 in Mukilteo required a public vote before any traffic enforcement cameras were installed and limited fines to $20. The measure was approved. Statewide measure I-1053, required the legislature to receive either two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval to raise taxes, and require majority legislative approval to increase fees. It was approved but later overturned. 2011 See also: Washington Transportation, Initiative 1125 (2011) Statewide measure I-1125 called for the prohibition of gas tax and toll revenues to be diverted to non-transportation purposes. Additionally, it required that lawmakers approve toll rates. It was defeated. 2012 See also: Washington Two-Thirds Vote Required to Raise Taxes, Initiative 1185 (2012) I-1185 was on the November 6, 2012 statewide ballot in Washington as an Initiative from the People, where it was approved but later overturned. According to reports, this measure was similar to Initiative 1053, which was under legal challenge. On May 30, 2012 King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller ruled that the two-thirds vote requirement for the Washington State Legislature to raise revenue under I-1053 was unconstitutional. The issue was ultimately decided by the Washington State Supreme Court. 2013-2014 See also: Washington "Protect the Initiative Act", Initiative 517 (2013) Statewide measure I-517 would have implemented penalties for intimidating, harassing, interfering with or retaliating against petition drive efforts for a ballot initiative. In addition, the measure would have required that all initiative efforts that obtained the valid amount of signatures have their proposals placed on the ballot. Also in 2013 and in 2014, Eyman filed multiple versions of initiatives related to vehicle license (car tab) fees, though none made the ballot. 2015 ’’See also: Washington Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase, Initiative 1366 (2015)’’ The Washington Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase, Initiative 1366 was on the ballot in Washington on November 3, 2015, as an Initiative to the People, where it was approved, but later overturned. The measure would have decreased the sales tax rate unless the legislature referred to voters a constitutional amendment requiring two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval to raise taxes, and legislative approval for fee increases. King County Court Judge William Downing struck the measure down on January 21, 2016. The court found that it was a disguised effort to propose a constitutional amendment, which cannot be imposed via initiative. Also in 2015, Eyman filed multiple versions of initiatives related to taxes and vehicle license (car tab) fees, though none made the ballot. 2016-2018 In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Eyman filed multiple versions of initiatives related to taxes and vehicle license (car tab) fees, though none made the ballot. Also in 2018, Eyman filed referendum petitions #78 and #79, the Atlantic Salmon Net-Pen Farming Ban veto referendums. The measures sought to overturn Washington House Bill 2957, which was signed on March 22, 2018, by Washington governor Jay Inslee (D) that was designed to phase out non-native finfish aquaculture in Washington's marine waters and ban net-pen farming of non-native finfish unless the net-pen farms were under a lease of state-owned aquatic lands. HB 2957 was largely a response to the collapse of Cooke Aquaculture's Cypress Island fish farm net-pen in August 2017 that released up to 263,000 non-native Atlantic salmon into Washington waters. Eyman withdrew the measures partly because Cooke Aquaculture did not support them.

Noteworthy events

Lawsuits and news surrounding Initiative 976

Tim Eyman sponsored Initiative 976 on the 2019 ballot. The measure was approved by voters and set to take effect on December 5, 2019, but is on hold pending the resolution of legal challenges. More information on the case can be found here.

Tim Eyman filed a lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court against the state of Washington requesting a ruling on the constitutionality of I-976. The court dismissed the case on January 31, 2020. Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese said, "There is no basis under the law for me to retain this case and decide this."

On February 4, 2020, in an email, Eyman wrote, "I am calling for civil disobedience. Join me and REFUSE to renew your vehicle tabs if your bill includes taxes and fees that were specifically targeted by I-976. It is absolutely critical that the people of Washington state, regardless of how they voted, not pay taxes and fees that the voters voted to get rid of."

Public Disclosure Commission investigation, 2015

In 2015, the Washington Public Disclosure Commission began investigating Eyman, his organization Watchdog for Taxpayers, and the signature collection company Citizen Solutions. The investigation centered on Eyman's use of campaign funds for multiple 2012 ballot initiatives. According to the Seattle Times, Eyman was accused of taking money donated for I-1185 and using it to pay for activities related to I-517 as well as to pay for personal expenses. In March 2017, as a result of the investigation, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Eyman, Watchdog for Taxpayers, and Citizen Solutions, accusing them of violating campaign finance laws.

State of Washington v. Eyman campaign finance lawsuit, 2017

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) sued Eyman for $2.1 million, alleging that Eyman profited from money donated to his initiative campaigns and violated campaign finance laws. Ferguson wrote, "We note Mr. Eyman claims he has received more than $20,000 per month in gifts. We look forward to presenting our case to the court that these gifts are really political contributions, solicited for a political purpose, that should have been reported to the public."

On November 28, 2018, Eyman filed under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington.

On his website, Eyman wrote, "For 6 long years, I’ve been slammed with the most intense, soul-crushing government litigation against a private individual in state history. While the AG has had unlimited resources to assign teams of taxpayer-financed lawyers to bury me and my attorneys in an endless maze of motions and procedures, my legal costs have had to be funded privately (from my family’s limited resources and from financial support from folks like you). I was doing the best I could to keep up." Eyman's attorney responded to the lawsuit saying, "For all the heated rhetoric earlier today, this dispute is simple: whether two transactions from 5 years ago needed to be included on 2012’s campaign reports. The Attorney General believes they should, we do not. From the beginning, Mr. Eyman has made clear he did nothing wrong … It is chilling that the stated purpose of this action is to permanently bar him from participating in the political process in this State."

On September 30, 2019, Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon ruled against Citizen Solutions and William Agazarm, the company's principal. Dixon ordered Citizen Solutions and Agazarm to collectively pay $1.04 million in civil penalties and contempt sanctions, including $622,255 in attorneys' fees and court costs. A civil trial regarding the lawsuit against Eyman was set for July 2020.

On February 10, 2021, Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon ordered Eyman to pay $2.6 million in penalties (the highest campaign finance penalty imposed on an individual in the state's history) and prohibited Eyman from handling finances for political committees. Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) said, "After twenty years of violating campaign finance laws, including two previous judgments against him, Eyman’s day of reckoning has arrived. Eyman’s conduct was illegal and intentional. Today’s historic campaign finance penalty – the largest in our state ever levied against an individual — is necessary to hold him accountable for some of the most egregious campaign finance violations ever uncovered by the Washington Public Disclosure Commission and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office." Eyman and his attorney, former state Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders said they were considering an appeal. Eyman said, "I’m going to have to be in a consulting role instead of a decision-making role, and do everything I can to walk through the minefield that’s been laid out."

On April 16, 2021, Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon ordered Eyman to pay an additional $2.9 million to reimburse the state for Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson's court costs in the lawsuit.

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External links

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