Update: Brown and Wilkerson violate transparency laws as ballots arrive

UPDATED 13 July 2023

Thanks to all of you citizens who called the Lisa Brown and Betsy Wilkerson campaigns.  Because of you, they have stopped violating the law (they still broke the law) and have reported their spending.

And, the budget forecast is not good for economist-candidate Lisa Brown.

After spending $37,500 in the first ten days of July (mostly to consultants and one piece of mail to voters), Camp Brown only has about $40k left for the primary election (accounting for the $20k that is legally earmarked for the general election). 

Brown’s anemic fundraising might be attributed to the “look forward, not back” complications that many “comeback” candidates experience after a major loss (minus 10% in 2018) and a gratuitous political appointment job by an unpopular governor, especially in Eastern Washington.

Brown appears to have a campaign video produced, but barely enough money to afford a couple more pieces of mail.  And yet, she continues to tout her financial prowess.  We will keep the 509 On the Ball as the details present.

POSTED 13 July 2023

On Tuesday, July 11 Lisa Brown held a press conference and took to social media demanding transparency in government spending.  Brown bragged about her budgeting skills and claimed,

“As Mayor, I will be transparent with you.”

By Wednesday, July 12 she was hiding ten days of required campaign reporting from the public. 

As of the time of this post Lisa Brown and Betsy Wilkerson have not filed their required 21 day reports with our state’s Public Disclosure Commission.  Brown and Wilkerson are actively concealing their spending covering the period between July 1 through July 10.

You can contact the campaigns and demand that they come into the sunshine:

Lisa Jo Brown campaign:  509 903 6137

Betsy Wilkerson campaign:  509 701 7843

Our voter’s guide includes links to these records, but what good is this information if the candidates don’t follow the law?

Why are these reports required?  As the primary election for Spokane Mayor and Council President begin today with ballots arriving at voters’ homes, it is critical that citizens and reporters have access to campaign funding and spending records. 

Lisa Brown has claimed to have returned $500 in donations from her campaign public relations firm that is also a contractor with the City of Spokane due to complaints that she is violating the Spokane Fair Elections code.  However, this is impossible to verify while Lisa Brown conceals her spending.

Wilkerson continues to be under the scrutiny of the Public Disclosure Commission for multiple violations that she has yet to address.

Lisa Brown’s campaign slogan is “There is a better way.”  Betsy Wilkerson’s campaign slogan is “Leadership that listens.”  As citizens, we ask Lisa and Betsy – how about dispensing with the political platitudes and begin with with better reporting and listening to the law?