When an independent candidate makes a mistake, Democratic leaders demand tens of thousands of dollars in fines. When a sitting Democratic congresswoman appears to make the same mistake, there's silence. Read why this is about far more than campaign signs.
Clallam County was alive on Saturday. The Forks and Port Angeles parades were incredibly well attended, with residents celebrating America’s 250th Birthday. But something stood out if you looked closely at the photo:
The “Emily Randall” sign behind the Statue of Liberty.
Here’s a close-up of the sign design. Notice anything?
The sponsorship line—“Paid for by Emily Randall for Congress”—is dramatically smaller than the main text. The “E” in Emily towers about 9 inches tall, the “R” in Randall around 3.5 inches, while the required sponsor message shrinks to roughly 1/3 of an inch. No campaign address is displayed either.
It feels petty to point this out—and it is. Yet these exact issues prompted Clallam County Democratic leadership to file a complaint with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) and push for the first $30,000 in fines against the Seegers campaign.
Jake Seegers has already spent $3,000 of campaign funds to bring his signs into compliance. That money, combined with significant volunteer hours spent reprinting, replacing, and redistributing signs, has diverted scarce resources away from voter outreach, events, and other core campaign priorities.
With multiple complaints now filed, the total penalties being sought against his shoestring independent campaign approach $80,000. What are the odds that Clallam County Democratic leaders meticulously scrutinized Seegers’ signs but somehow overlooked similar issues on Emily Randall’s materials? Or is it far more likely they are selectively weaponizing the PDC to harass a political rival while turning a blind eye to violations on their own side?
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
Emily Randall benefits from paid staff, a full Democratic machine to design, print, deploy, and monitor compliant signs, and resources to fight any challenges.
Jake Seegers, running as an independent for County Commissioner, has no paid staff and no party backing. Just volunteers trying to get his message out on a shoestring budget. Everything in the system is stacked against the independent outsider.
One critic, posting as “Lisa,” took to CC Watchdog to blast the campaign (at the time managed by me, Jeff Tozzer). She lectured on transparency and accountability, accusing the campaign of deflection instead of ownership. She questioned what kind of leadership Seegers would bring and floated conspiratorial hints about hidden influences.
Yes, the campaign could have—and should have—caught it. Mistakes happen. But it’s revealing that a sitting Congresswoman and her professional staff made the same error. Even the PDC itself doesn’t always get it right.
The PDC’s Own Transparency Failures
The agency charged with enforcing campaign transparency in Washington state settled a lawsuit after being accused of violating the state’s Open Public Meetings Act for nearly two years. They agreed to pay $25,000 and send commissioners for extra training.
The commission had repeatedly entered closed sessions without properly announcing the purpose or expected end time, as required by law.
Seasoned officials stumble too. Longtime Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias (a Democrat) received a formal written warning from the PDC for late C-4 reports in his 2023 campaign.
This wasn’t his first brush with the commission. Earlier complaints in 2019–2020 highlighted issues with expenditure details, filing fees, and balance discrepancies—challenges his wife and treasurer attributed to being first-time candidates thrust into complex rules on short notice.
They amended reports and worked through the process.
The point? PDC rules are intricate, compliance is burdensome, and unintentional errors are common—even for experienced politicians with party support and paid help.
Yet Democratic leadership in Clallam County is demanding up to $80,000 in fines from Jake Seegers’ independent campaign. This isn’t equal enforcement. It’s selective harassment designed to tie up resources, deter volunteers, and discourage anyone who dares challenge the machine without big-money backing.
Running as an independent is already an uphill battle: no coordinated party infrastructure, no shared legal/compliance teams, and all the scrutiny with none of the support. When the system piles on petty fines while looking the other way at similar (or worse) issues on the other side, it reinforces what many voters already suspect—politics is rigged against the little guy.
Voters deserve real transparency and accountability. That starts with consistent application of the rules, not weaponizing them against independents while insiders skate by. Jake Seegers’ campaign continues fighting not just for votes, but for a fair shot in a system that too often favors the connected over the committed.
Today’s Tidbit: Coming Soon to Port Angeles
Last September, CC Watchdog reported on registered sex offender Joseph Alaxander Bell, who was booked into the Clallam County Jail on theft.
Bell’s criminal history spans years and includes arrests involving domestic violence, assault, theft, and repeated contacts with law enforcement related to drug use and overdoses.
Bell was arrested again on Saturday for burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and malicious mischief.
His story raises a question that deserves to be asked: after years of taxpayer-funded services, free transit, harm reduction supplies, emergency medical responses, jail stays, and court-appointed attorneys, has the harm been reduced for Joseph Bell—or for the community?
Later this month, taxpayers will have an opportunity to see the county’s newest response to chronic homelessness.
On Monday, July 27, Peninsula Behavioral Health will celebrate the opening of North View, a new 36-unit Permanent Supportive Housing complex at 138 W. 2nd Street in Port Angeles. According to PBH, the project is designed to provide stable housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness while connecting residents with behavioral health services intended to promote long-term stability, health, and recovery.
The building includes amenities many working families don’t enjoy in their own homes, including air conditioning, dishwashers, EV charging stations, a dog-washing station, and panoramic views of the harbor and Olympic Mountains. It is also considered low-barrier housing, meaning alcohol and drug use may be discouraged but, by itself, are not grounds for eviction.
The project has also become part of this year’s county commissioner campaign. On his reelection website, Commissioner Mike French highlights North View as an example of the kind of affordable housing he supports and points to it as a significant community investment.
North View is designed to prioritize the chronically homeless who struggle with addiction and frequent incarceration. In other words, Joseph Bell could ultimately trade life on the streets for a rooftop terrace and dishwasher.
Whether North View represents a turning point in addressing chronic homelessness or simply another expensive chapter in Clallam County’s current approach is a question the public will soon be able to evaluate for themselves.
Taxpayers helped fund this project. If you’ve been wondering what that investment looks like, mark Monday, July 27, on your calendar and take the tour. Then ask yourself the question that matters most: Will projects like North View produce better outcomes—for the people living there and for the community paying for them?
