CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE related to elections; limiting independent expenditures by foreign-influenced corporations and contributions to independent expenditure committees and clarifying reporting requirements; amending Sections 2.04.010, 2.04.260, 2.04.270, 2.04.280, 2.04.360, and 2.04.370 of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC); and adding a new Section 2.04.400 to the SMC.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council makes the following findings of fact:
A. Independent expenditure committees are a growing phenomenon in local elections and in Washington State.
B. Large contributions to independent expenditure committees pose the risk of corruption or the appearance of corruption, including quid pro quo corruption, even if the independent expenditure committees do not coordinate with political campaigns.
C. Current laws allow donors to circumvent limits on contributions to candidates by making unlimited contributions to independent expenditure committees.
D. Independent expenditures in Seattle's 2017 election were more than double the amount of independent expenditures in 2013, the previous year with a Mayoral election, according to data collected by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission.
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F. To protect the integrity of Seattle's democracy, it is necessary to place limits on contributions to independent expenditure committees.
G. The United States government has concluded that the 2016 presidential election was subject to extensive foreign involvement, as set forth in the U.S. Director of National Intelligence's January 2017 report on "Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections."
H. The United States government has concluded that Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign actors are engaged in ongoing campaigns to undermine democratic institutions, as set forth in t...
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