(The Center Square) – The organization behind Initiative 2117 to repeal the Climate Commitment Act and end carbon auctions in Washington state has filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission against the administration of Gov. Jay Inslee.
Let’s Go Washington is claiming $200 energy rebates given to hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians constituted a bribe by government employees hoping to influence people to vote down the measure in November.
“Gov. Inslee’s administration acted outside of the law by bribing voters with state resources,” said Let’s Go Washington spokesperson Hallie Balch in an interview with The Center Square on Wednesday.
She went on to say, “The deputy assistant director [of the Washington State Department of Commerce] was emailing with the public utilities commission, asking that they send out rebate checks by Sept. 15 so it would be ahead of voting on I-2117.”
“We’re just trying to find out was she and her team instructed by the governor to do this and have there been other conversations going on about specifically making sure it was happening before the election, because we see that as a clear attempt to bribe voters,” Balch explained.
Washing State Department of Commerce spokesperson Penny Thomas responded to a request for comment about the complaint via email.
“We do not believe this presents a conflict, as the utility … brought up the election timing,” she said, adding, “All funds from the program have been spent, and utilities do not have to return any funding from this program if I-2117 passes.”
Let’s Go Washington is convinced the rebate offers are in violation of state law, citing RCW 42.17A.555.
“The section of code in violation refers to bribery by government employees using their authority to sway voters,” Balch said in an email.
According to Let’s Go Washington, a recently surfaced email from Cheryl Chan Hardee, deputy assistant director of the Energy Division at the Washington State Department of Commerce, shows Hardee outlining that the public utilities must send out checks to people before they vote on I-2117.
“The language in the email suggests that the rebate checks were timed to reach voters before ballots are distributed, implying that the rebates should be used as a way to sway public opinion in favor of the CCA ahead of the vote to repeal the program,” Balch noted.
Penny Thomas, media relations manager for the Dept. of Commerce responded via email to point out the rebate program was written into the 2024 operating budget.
(from the budget) “$150,000,000 of the climate commitment account—state appropriation is provided solely for the department to provide clean energy for Washington families grants for public and private electric utilities to provide bill credits for low-income and moderate-income residential electricity customers to help with the clean energy transition in the amount of $200 per household, by September 15, 2024.”
Let’s Go Washington is calling for a full investigation into the involvement of state employees, the Department of Commerce, and potentially the governor’s office in orchestrating the timing of the rebate payments.
“When one party controls a state for 40 years, elected officials begin to consider themselves above the law. Gov. Inslee, his administration, and the majority party in Olympia are using money taken from taxpayers to try to influence voters. Let’s Go Washington was created to fight back against this arrogance and corruption,” said Let’s Go Washington founder Brian Heywood. “One point three million voters across the political spectrum signed onto our initiatives in agreement. Governor Inslee can’t just ignore the law when public opinion shifts against him. This is a clear attempt to bribe voters into protecting his hidden gas tax and it’s time Governor Inslee adhered to the law instead of acting like he’s above it.”
The letter sent to the PDC calls for immediate fact finding by the commission to uncover the full extent of state employee involvement, potential coordination with the governor’s office, and the resources used to carry out this program.
According to the Department of Commerce, more than 675,000 low-to moderate-income electric utility customers throughout Washington state, or approximately 20% of all residential customers, were eligible for the rebate program through a one-time $200 bill credit.