Didier Asks Federal Court to Order Newhouse to Halt Alleged Illegal Campaign Activities in Washington 4th District

Newhouse Chair Admits Using State Resources, Sees Nothing Wrong with It

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Sep 18, 2014, 07:04 ET

RICHLAND, Wash., Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The "Didier for Congress" campaign has gone to court to stop its opponent from allegedly violating both state and federal campaign laws in Washington's 4^th Congressional District.

"We were reluctant to do it, but we owe it to the voters to level the playing field to guarantee an honest and fair election, Said Clint Didier. "They've already admitted using state resources in the campaign, and the state Ethics Board has found 'reasonable cause' for the charges. But they still won't guarantee they'll stop before the election and claim they haven't done anything wrong."

The complaint, filed in Federal District Court in Richland WA, asks the Court to issue an injunction to immediately stop using state agency resources to campaign for Dan Newhouse, and to stop violating federal law – the Hatch Act – by using "official authority and influence for the purpose of interfering with and affecting the result of an election."

Defendants include the Dan Newhouse for Congress campaign, the Washington State Potato Commission, and Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Potato Commission, who is also a Chair for the Newhouse campaign. Newhouse formerly served as Director of Agriculture and was actually responsible for the ethics enforcement of Chris Voigt and the Potato Commission, along with other state agencies.

The suit outlines how Voigt used his state-owned auto and his Potato Commission email, title and lists to campaign for Newhouse and Senator Patty Murray, and shows dozens of emails to and from Voigt's official Potato Commission email discussing Newhouse campaign plans and events. Voigt also used the state email to hit people up for donations and to attend Newhouse fundraisers.

Examples of emails included in the Exhibits filed in the Court documents include: a March 18, 2014 email from Chris Voigt where he "strongly urged" potato farmers to attend a fundraiser for Dan Newhouse and included an attached invitation from the official campaign. And in a March 21 email signed "Chris Voigt, Executive Director, Washington State Potato Commission" Voigt pushed hard for potato farmers to support Newhouse: "Dan is going to win it…it will discourage others from further diluting the race."

"Heck, I'm a potato farmer and pay into the Potato Commission. He's using my own money to campaign against me," says Didier.