(The Center Square) - Three months after a Sammamish City councilmember filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission directed at Let’s Go Washington and unDivided podcaster Brandi Kruse, PDC staff have advanced the complaint into the next phase, opening a formal investigation.
Sammamish Councilmember Pam Stuart filed the complaint May 12 in her capacity as a communications liaison for Washingtonians For Ethical Government, alleging that Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington violated Washington’s Fair Campaign Practices Act.
Stuart alleges that there have been at least 159 instances of political advertising by Brandi Kruse on behalf of Let’s Go Washington in support of two of its 2026 ballot initiatives: IL26-638 and IL26-001, concerning protecting girls' sports and restoring parental rights in education.
WFEG alleged a value for this “promotion” of up to $1.25 million in unreported “in-kind political advertising” by Let’s Go Washington in their complaint.
“I’m happy to hear the PDC is taking this complaint seriously by moving forward with a formal investigation, and I look forward to their findings. Paid influencers like Brandi Kruse are stoking distrust in government and driving voter apathy, something we cannot afford at a time when democracy in America is under assault,” wrote Stuart in a statement following last week’s PDC hearing in the matter.
PDC Executive Director Pete Frey Lavallee provided a statement to an attorney for LGW following the Aug. 12 hearing into the complaint, which was shared with The Center Square via email.
“After conducting a preliminary review and assessment of a complaint filed by Pam Stuart concerning Let's Go Washington (Sponsored by Brian Heywood), PDC staff opened a formal investigation and held an Initial Hearing (also referred to as a Case Status Review), on August 12, 2026, pursuant to RCW 29B.60.020, and WACs 390-37-060 and 390-37-071.”
"At the hearing it was noted that the Initial Hearing is not an adjudicative proceeding, and that RCW 29B.60.020 provides PDC staff with additional tools to resolve complaints through the use of alternatives to full, formal adjudication, or referral to the Attorney General’s Office, and I am encouraging you to work with staff on resolving this matter,” wrote Lavallee.
Heywood and Kruse pushed back on recent media reports of the complaint, citing the fact neither television outlet that put out the story contacted either one of them for comment.
“Neither of these organizations, KIRO or Fox [Q13] reached out to us for comment. They didn't ask us for anything,” said Heywood in a Sunday interview with The Center Square.
“And then when they do get a quote, it's from a woman named Pam Stuart who is sort of their front on this. She's the one they put out front to speak on their behalf. And Pam Stuart is the councilwoman who we know because she harassed signature gatherers. She shouted and threatened them and intimidated…people that wanted to sign."
Heywood was referring to an incident in late May in which Stuart was accused of harassing and directly interfering with gatherers outside a Safeway in Sammamish.
Nick Large, an LGW signature gatherer, told Kruse Stuart confronted him while he attempted to collect signatures.
No charges were filed in the case. Stuart did not respond to requests from The Center Square for an interview.
“WFEG is using the PDC. They're weaponizing the PDC to try to prosecute or to persecute or to intimidate, really. They cause problems for people they don't politically agree with. The PDC is being used by this far left dark money group to further a sort of a political agenda,” said Heywood.
Kruse said she has never taken money from LGW or any other political organization or candidate and is confident that First Amendment protections allow her to support any cause she believes in. She also condemned the television stations that ran the story about the hearing on the complaints last week, without even reaching out to her for comment.
“It seems very clear that this was another round of strategic headlines pushed by the progressive cabal that is trying to sort of undermine my credibility, and undermine Let's Go Washington's credibility, and the media just plays into it,” said Kruse in a Saturday interview with The Center Square, noting that none of her colleagues at Q13, where she worked for years, reached out to her.
Neither station responded a request for comment from The Center Square.
In an Aug. 16 commentary, Lynnwood Times Publisher Mario Lotmore noted the free speech issues at play in the case could have far reaching impacts beyond the influence of podcasters.
“Newspaper editorial boards that endorse candidates while the paper sells political ads could face new challenges—just think of the deluge of PDC complaints especially against the big newspapers who received hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue yet rarely investigate unethical behavior or better yet, use their platform to attack competing newspapers for exposing the unethical behavior, of specific party-aligned darlings,” wrote Lotmore.
“Union newsletters, websites, emails, and social-media posts urging members to support or oppose ballot measures could suddenly be treated as reportable in-kind contributions. Public-sector unions, which routinely communicate with elected members and lobbyists about legislation and initiatives, would confront heavy new compliance burdens and potential liability,” Lotmore wrote.
Kruse pressed that she’s never “taken a dime to support anything.”
“I don't need anybody to give me money to support what I believe is the women's rights issue of a generation,” said Kruse referring to protection girls' sports for only biological females.
