Representative Matt Shea (Legislative District 4, Spokane Valley north to Mt. Spokane) has enjoyed financial support from business interests and political action committees for many election cycles. In 2018 that support amounted to $80,150, almost three quarters of all Shea’s 2018 campaign fund. The Washington Association of Realtors, Washington Optometric PAC, Avista, and BNSF each contributed the maximum amount of $2000. (Click the blue above for the whole list). One must wonder who in each of these organizations arranged to have these checks written, and how that check-writer was not (or was?) paying attention to the activities of this man (beyond his consistent business-friendly Republican voting record). What were they thinking as Mr. Shea spoke at the Freedom Force Red Pill Expo Conference or as he spoke at the Marble Community’s “God and Country Celebration” shoulder to shoulder with “John Jacob Schmidt” and Pastor Barry Byrd?
So what about the 2020 election cycle? The Spokesman reports (January 13th) that Matt Shea has:
been kicked out of the Republican caucus, meaning he no longer has a vote on legislative committees, can’t rely on caucus staff and can’t take part in GOP strategy meetings. On the House floor, he was moved to a new desk in a row that includes more Democrats than Republicans.
We can get a hint, thanks to Washington State law that established the Public Disclosure Commission. Shea’s current contributions for the 2020 election can be viewed here at MATT SHEA T, 2020. It’s worth a look. There are no PAC or business contributions of over $500 so far. Duane Alton (of Alton Tires) stands out on top with a $1500 contribution. By now, following publication of the Rampart Report (which you can download here), everyone making a contribution to Shea’s campaign must be fully aware of–and therefore must tacitly endorse–Shea’s activities.
By this time in the 2018 election cycle Avista, BNSF, and six other businesses or PACs had already made $1000 contributions. None of these have yet shown up for the 2020 cycle. Is Shea finally toxic? We’ll see. Watch this space: MATT SHEA T, 2020.
Incumbents, regardless of their extremist views, are hard to dislodge, and, meanwhile, they can use campaign money to proselytize. It behooves the electorate to chose carefully.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. Shea’s 2020 campaign shows a total greater than the amount his 2018 campaign had gathered by the corresponding date, but that is deceiving. The 2020 campaign has brought back $16,000 (about 40% of the current total) from “Surplus Funds” Shea had banked from prior campaigns, brought forward as “MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS.”
Since “Surplus Campaign Funds” can be used for “non-reimbursed public office related expenses” one wonders how much surplus buffer there is. The last report one the “SHEA MATT T SURPLUS ACCT” shows the balance in that account as $33927.89. It’s a nice cushion that could see him through the 2020 election cycle without any renewed corporate or PAC support.
P.P.S. One wonders where Shea gets additional funding. He bragged at the Covenant Church in north Spokane last Friday (January 10th), “I’ve been able to travel 100,000 miles in the last three months. All over the world! Talking to leaders of countries! Praise God for that.”