Pro-Kang committee returns $30,000 after complaints. What our records show about the District 5 seat and the ethics commission

An independent political committee supporting Julie Kang in the District 5 City Council race has given back a $30,000 contribution from Seafor, a nonprofit group created by former Council President Sara Nelson, PubliCola reported on Oct. 23. The refund came after complaints alleged that Seafor's anonymous contributions broke state and local election law.

For North Seattle voters, the story is about who is paying for the mail and ads in the only Council race on the Nov. 3 ballot, and about how the city's own elections watchdog handles complaints. Seafor described the Kang race as a "test run" for the seven Council races on the 2027 ballot, according to PubliCola.

What happened

According to PubliCola's reporting:

• Seafor is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that Nelson created to channel contributions from donors who are not publicly disclosed. Its pitch to donors says its structure protects the privacy of businesses and individuals.
• The committee, North Seattle Neighbors, refunded Seafor's $30,000 the weekend before the article. Its leader told PubliCola the refund followed news reports about the complaints. Seafor's website said the money "was rescinded to comply with all applicable laws and statutes."
• Two complaints filed by another political committee, Progressive People Power, are pending: one at the state Public Disclosure Commission and one at the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC). The local complaint also alleges Seafor failed to register as a grassroots lobbying group. Neither complaint has been decided.
• Separately, Nilu Jenks's campaign filed a complaint alleging that an Oct. 19 North Seattle Neighbors mailer listed its top donors inaccurately. The committee told PubliCola that some contributions were pledges received Oct. 13 and that one payment cleared after the mailers were printed and will appear in its next report.
• PubliCola reported that state law limits contributions from any one source to a candidate or committee to $7,500 in the final three weeks before Election Day.
• Nelson did not respond to PubliCola's questions.

What our records add

The commission weighing the local complaint got a Council-appointed member on a split vote. The Council confirmed a new member of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission on April 14 by a 5-3 vote (Appt 03470), one of the few divided appointment votes this year. City Clerk records show Rob Saka, Joy Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, Debora Juarez and Dan Strauss voted yes; Eddie Lin, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster voted no; Robert Kettle is not recorded as voting. The appointment was sponsored by Council President Hollingsworth and recommended by the Governance and Utilities Committee on April 9.

The seat being decided has been in the majority on this year's closest calls. Of the eight divided Council roll calls we have recorded since January, Juarez, who holds the District 5 seat until the election, voted with the majority on seven:

• the 6-3 votes on the RV permit program (CB 121283) and its funding (CB 121282) on Oct. 20, which we followed up on today in Mayor still undecided on RV package;
• the 7-2 vote on the algorithmic pricing ban (CB 121267) on Sept. 22;
• the 5-3 SEEC appointment above.

The exception was the 5-4 vote on Council land use decisions (CB 121215) on July 28, where she voted no.

The 2027 races Seafor pointed to are the seven district seats. Those are currently held by Saka (District 1), Lin (District 2), Hollingsworth (District 3), Rivera (District 4), the District 5 winner, Strauss (District 6) and Kettle (District 7). See each member's record from our District 5 page.

As with all campaign money, these records sit side by side with the spending reports. They do not show that any contribution led to any vote.

What's next

• North Seattle Neighbors' next filing is due Oct. 27, PubliCola reported.
• Ballots must be postmarked or in a drop box by 8 p.m. Nov. 3, according to King County Elections.
• The complaints remain pending at the SEEC and the state Public Disclosure Commission, according to PubliCola.

For the candidates' positions and the seat's voting record, see our earlier story, District 5 votes Nov. 3: Jenks vs. Kang.