Jefferson County Commissioner David Sullivan has admitted to moving funds from his re-election campaign into a campaign in favor of a Home Opportunity Fund levy in violation of state campaign laws.

Glen Morgan reported the violation of campaign fund use to the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) Sept. 18, and the PDC created a case number for the report Sept. 26.

Sullivan contacted the PDC via email Sept. 27 to tell them that he agreed that his actions had constituted a misuse of his campaign’s surplus funds.

While Morgan’s complaint accused Sullivan of doing so “willfully,” Sullivan claimed that he had “made a mistake,” even as he conceded that the mistake was his alone, since he no longer has a campaign staff.

“I misremembered the RCW in question,” Sullivan told The Leader. “I hadn’t looked at it in years.”

Sullivan said that he withdrew the funds for Homes Now! from his campaign, by name, as evidence of his earnest intent.

“I honestly thought it was one of the things I could do, that I’d just never done before,” Sullivan said. “I put it right out there, in case anyone asked. I didn’t have any doubt that I was doing a good thing.”

Homes Now! has returned the $800.60 that Sullivan donated from his campaign funds, which he, in turn, has placed in a separate account while he waits to hear from the PDC about what should be done with those funds.

“This is a good cause that I believe in,” Sullivan said of Proposition 1. “But there are so many distractions regarding this campaign already, that I don’t want to be another one of them.”

PDC spokesperson Kim Bradford said the initial review of Sullivan’s case has yet to be completed. She said that it could be referred to either administrative action or a more formal investigation, depending on a determination of severity.

“They could come back with a dismissal or a warning, especially if the person accused issues a statement of admission and understanding that what he did was wrong,” Bradford said. “If it goes to an investigation, then obviously more time will be spent on the case, possibly involving witnesses.”

Bradford emphasized that she was speaking about such cases as a general rule, and not about Sullivan’s case in particular, on which she declined to offer a timetable.

“I know the commission is giving priority to cases having to do with the 2017 election,” Bradford said. “This case’s ties to Homes Now! would seem to relate to that. But we’ve also experienced a 232 percent increase in cases since 2016.”

Sullivan’s case number is 25389, and can by looked up online at: pdc.wa.gov.