The Port of Seattle was one of 69 public agencies reported by a libertarian group called Freedom Foundation to have missing or incomplete lobbying reports.
The Port of Seattle failed to file 4 ½ years of reports about its lobbying expenses, a state investigation found.
The Port blamed staff turnover and confusion about the requirements. The state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) decided Thursday to fine the Port $7,500 and is considering ways to simplify filing.
Port spokeswoman Charla Skaggs said Port employees thought they needed to file only when the Legislature was in session. In fact, they should have filed four reports a year. “Those things explain how you could have an oversight, but we recognize it was a mistake and we’re rectifying it,” Skaggs said.