PDC complaint filed over campaign signs

Published 4:00 pm Friday, April 24, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A complaint has been filed against a candidate for Clallam County commissioner.

Paul Pickett filed a complaint against Jake Seegers with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) on Monday alleging Seegers’ campaign signs do not follow PDC regulations.

Seegers filed Oct. 28 with the PDC to run as an Independent for the Clallam County commissioner District 3 seat currently held by Mike French.

In his complaint, Pickett references three points of the state RCW regarding signs for political candidates.

Chapter 29B.30.050 says “All written political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor’s name and address.”

The chapter also states,

“For partisan office, if a candidate has expressed a party or independent preference on the declaration of candidacy, that party or independent designation shall be clearly identified in electioneering communications, independent expenditures or political advertising;” and it also states the sponsor identification on a campaign sign must be “in type at least 10 percent of the largest size type used in a written advertisement or communication directed at more than one voter, such as a billboard or poster, whichever is larger.”

With those chapter sections defined, Pickett alleges Seegers’ campaign signs do not show his party preference, do not include the address of the campaign and do not have the sponsorship statement in a font that 10 percent of the size of the largest font.

“When we receive a complaint, staff do an intial review to determine if a case should be open,” PDC Communications Specialist Natalie Johnson wrote in an email. “We can either open a case or dismiss the complaint. For example, for lack of evidence or jurisdiction, and it won’t be published. The time that first review takes varies based on the complexity of the complaint, but we’re required by law to either resolve a case or convert it to a formal investigation within 90 days.”

Seegers said he was informed of the complaint against his campaign on Thursday.

“We looked into this,” he said. “Apparently, in June of 2024, the PDC enacted new guidelines that require the sponsor address of the campaign and the party preference to be on the signs and the size of the text needs to be 10 percent of the largest text on your sign.”

Before that June 2024 decision, Seegers said, those rules only applied to signs that were larger than 4 feet by 8 feet.

“I think there’s quite a few people who aren’t aware of that because there’s definitely campaign signs out there that are not following that,” Seegers said. “We are doing our best to rectify the situation and make sure all of our signs are in compliance.”

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.