19th District candidate who ran against Walsh in 2016 fined for campaign finance violations

Purcell ordered to pay more than $14,000

Former 19th Legislative District candidate Teresa Purcell, a Longview Democrat who lost in her 2016 race against Republican Jim Walsh of Aberdeen, will be asked to pay $14,395 for campaign finance violations, according to a statement released Friday by the State Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleged Purcell failed to timely report debts, contributions and expenditures, and also failed to report employer and occupation information for contributors giving more than $100.

Purcell admitted to the violations and agreed that the judgment “constitutes a fair, reasonable, and complete resolution of those violations,” according to the Attorney General’s statement. The Attorney General’s Office originally filed the complaint against Purcell in December 2016.

A Thurston County Superior Court judge has ordered Purcell to pay $18,395 in penalties, with $8,000 suspended for four years contingent on no violations in that period, as well as $4,000 in costs and fees.