McKenna files two suits against builders

Acting on the judgment of the Public Disclosure Committee, who last week said that two builder's groups had violated campaign finance law in their political advocacy, the attorney general's office has filed lawsuits against the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties and the Building Industry Association of Washington's Member Services Corporation.

The PDC had determined that the MBA-KC and the BIAW had illegally solicited and spent funds for political means by not disclosing the source of the money. That determination was then sent to Attorney General Rob McKenna's office, who has acted on it.

McKenna will seek civil penalties and reimbursement of the investigation and trial costs against the two groups, who are both subsidiaries of the BIAW. The groups each have a month to respond, and the judges in charge of the case will report their findings on December 19, 2008, over a month after the election.