Politics & Government
UPDATE: Earling Campaign Responds to $16,963 Independent Expenditure
It's the largest in Edmonds, ever. It came from the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors.
The Public Disclosure Commission in Olympia has documented a $16,963.05 independent expenditure from the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors to Edmonds mayoral candidate Dave Earling.
An independent expenditure is one that is made to a candidate without his or her cooperation or solicitation.
It's the largest amount of any independent expenditure ever in the City of Edmonds for as long as the Public Disclosure Commission has been keeping records.
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The expenditure was made public to the media by Edmonds City Councilman D.J. Wilson, one of three sitting council members to endorse current Mayor Mike Cooper in his bid to retain the $113,00-a-year position. (The other two councilmembers endorsing Cooper are Strom Peterson and Adrienne Fraley-Monillas.)
"It is more than every City Council candidate has raised all year, save one, which happens to be me, but barely," said Wilson. Wilson seat is up this year, and he's running against community activist Joan Bloom.
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Earling previously owned Edmonds Realty and spent 12 years (1992-2003) at a councilmember, including five as president.
Cooper, according to the Public Disclosure Commission, has not received any independent expenditures.
Dave Earling's son, Eric, who is his father's spokesman for his mayoral campaign, has responed to the independent expenditure:
"We became aware it earlier this week when reviewing the PDC website's data for this race," said Eric Earling. "While it's not something that we might prefer to have happen, that's the right of any such interested group under Edmonds campaign finance laws, and no individual campaign can control it. We're focused on running our own, very strong campaign through November 8th and feel very good about the response from Edmonds citizens interested in new leadership in City Hall based on Dave Earling's strong victory in the primary and the public's continued dissatisfaction with the status quo.
"Beyond that, we view any independent expenditures that might occur in this race, on our side or Mike Cooper's, about the same as we view Mike Cooper's own campaign activity: We can't control it, so are staying focused on running the best possible campaign for Dave Earling."