OLYMPIA — The state Legislative Ethics Board this week fined Sen. Manka Dhingra, a Redmond Democrat who is running for attorney general, for using public resources when she encouraged people to register to vote and to vote for "reproductive health champions" during a June 2022 news conference.
Dhingra, who has served in the Senate since 2017, was fined $250 in a Tuesday order from the board.
She was also ordered to pay back the state Senate $92.43, the amount she was reimbursed for her mileage for the news conference.
The event was held in Olympia the day after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, overturning long-standing federal abortion protections.
The board said Dhingra violated RCW 42.52.180, barring legislators and other "state officers" and employees from using public funds for political campaigns.
"While members remain free to voice their views on electoral participation, the use of public resources to solicit people to register to vote or advise them how to vote is not considered normal and regular conduct for a legislative office and would violate [the statute]," the board's order states.
During the June news conference, Dhingra said "there is a lot more work that needs to be done" to ensure abortion, reproductive health care and gender-affirming care are accessible.
"This is a decision that needs to empower every single person to make sure that they're going out, registering to vote and making sure they are voting for individuals who are reproductive health champions," Dhingra said at the time. "Because otherwise, all our rights are under attack."
In an email to The Seattle Times, Dhingra said Gov. Jay Inslee invited her "and several other key legislators to this press conference in my capacity as a state senator, to comment on the state response to the Dobbs decision."
Dhingra said she would reimburse the mileage expenses for the event and pay the fine.
The original complaint was filed against 11 legislators based on two different news conferences. In addition to the June news conference, theorder also considered another one about abortion access in October 2022 at Western Washington University, which Dhingra and other lawmakers attended.
The board wrote in its opinion that between the two events, Dhingra and two other state lawmakers made remarks "that could be viewed as telling people how to vote." But because the two other lawmakers, Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, and Rep. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, did not use "legislative resources in providing their remarks," the board did not find any violation.
However, the board found that using the resources of another state agency — such as the Department of Enterprise Services — for campaign purposes did constitute "indirect" use of public resources under the statute. It means that going forward, lawmakers should find out who is paying for similar events and that they will be held responsible if state resources are used.
"The effect of the board's finding is to place a duty on legislators (and others working at their direction) to inquire about the use of public resources by another state agency that was not clear under prior board decisions," the order states.
According to the order, legislators are "free to voice their views on electoral participation," but "the use of public resources to solicit people to register to vote or advise them how to vote is not considered normal and regular conduct for a legislative office" and would violate the statute prohibiting use of public resources for campaign purposes.
"I wasn't aware that I could not tell people to register to vote in my official capacity as a state senator," Dhingra said in a phone interview Wednesday.
During the news conference, Gov. Jay Inslee said he would ask legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to an abortion. Dhingra said the "only way" to alter the constitution would be to get enough lawmakers who would support it on the Senate floor. In order to amend the constitution, each chamber must approve the change with a two-thirds "supermajority" vote, and then Washington voters must approve it in a general election.
"This was right after the Dobbs decision had come out," Dhingra said. "And this was a press conference about ensuring that we in Washington were protecting women's reproductive rights. And that's why the statement was made, to ensure that we elected individuals who basically were champions of women's reproductive rights."
