Notes
Seattle Times article by Jim Brunner (June 25, 2005) reporting that the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) asked Attorney General Rob McKenna to sue investors in TME Capital Group for allegedly concealing $60,000 in campaign contributions to influence the 2001 Des Moines City Council elections. Investors — including Elling Halvorson, Catherine Boshaw, Doug Edlund, John Taylor, Lon Halvorson, E. Kent Halvorson, Tim Teteak, and David Chavalier — allegedly pooled funds to back candidates favorable to the third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, routed money through Environmental Materials Transport (Henry ‘Hank’ Hopkins) via cashier’s checks marked ‘anonymous’ to political consultant Tom Hujar. Related scandal also implicates former Des Moines Mayor Don Wasson, who resigned in 2003 after concealing $49,000 in contributions linked to Hopkins. PDC penalties capped at $2,500; AG lawsuit could seek up to $10,000 per violation with triple penalties for intentional violations. Also references a 2003 $40,000 settlement by TME Capital Group and Environmental Materials Transport for similar 1999 Des Moines election violations. Conveyor system fill transport permit for Sea-Tac third runway project is the underlying business interest.