OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced May 8 that has he filed a campaign finance lawsuit against former Grant County Superior Court judge Jerry Moberg and Moses Lake business owner Ken Greene.
“Washington law allows people to participate in the political process through political advertising — but you must stand up and put your name on it,” Ferguson said. “I will continue to ensure dark money does not unlawfully influence our elections.”
The lawsuit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, alleges Green and Moberg were behind a political mailer attacking a 2014 Grant County prosecutor election. They used a company called the Borns Group to send the mailers. According to Ferguson and the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), the defendants covered up Moberg’s involvement.
"[Moberg] did provide Greene with the funds he needed to pay the Borns group for printing and mailing services, and he failed to disclose that fact when asked during his PDC interview if he helped Greene pay for the flyer,” the PDC report states. “In addition, during Greene's PDC interview, when staff asked Greene if anyone offered to help him pay for the flyer, Greene did not disclose that Moberg had provided the funds needed to pay for printing and mailing the [prosecutor candidate] Garth Dano flyer.”
Moberg and Greene could be forced to pay $453,852.60 in penalties if Ferguson’s lawsuit is successful.