Katherine Thomas, Kyle Steinburg Fined By Public Disclosure Comm.

Two elected office holders in Chelan and Douglas counties will have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines for failing to file financial disclosures with the state. 

Wenatchee School Board member Katherine Thomas and Douglas County Commissioner Kyle Steinburg were both penalized this week for not turning over their 2022 personal financial affairs statements, or F-1s, which were due April 17. 

Washington Public Disclosure Commission chair Nancy Isserlis fined Thomas together with numerous other first-time offenders during a virtual hearing. 

"The base penalty for each of those will be $250, and I will suspend $100 of that for each, on the condition that they pay the fine, the Non suspended portion, and get their F-1 report filed more importantly," said Isserlis.  

Commissioner Steinberg was fined along with two office holders together for failing to file disclosures for a second time. 

"As for each of those cases, I will impose, this is a second violation for each of them, I will impose the base penalty of $500, and suspend $250 of that," Isserlis said. 

According to the Disclosure Commission, neither Thomas nor Steinburg did responded to inquiries from the commission. 

Letters were sent to both of them on September 8. Copies were sent to Steinburg's business address and to Thomas' home and school district email. 

Neither Steinberg nor Thomas attended yesterday's hearing, which was held through Microsoft Teams. A few of the other violators did appear virtually.  

Steinberg did pay the previous $100 fine after his first violation and filed the proper paperwork.  

Personal financial affairs statements, or F-1s are required by law of all elected officers in the state.  

A statement of the disclosure commission’s website said, "We’re here to promote confidence in Washington state’s political process by helping voters and the public understand where money in politics comes from and where it's going." 

Most states and the federal government have agencies that impose financial transparency requirements on elected office holders and candidates.