Tim Eyman loses home in Mukilteo to creditors over campaign finance violations
Aug 5, 2022, 12:44 PM
Washington state gubernational candidate and anti-tax activist, Tim Eyman (R) joins the Patriot Prayer and Peoples Rights Washington rally against the Washington state mask mandate across the street from Vancouver City Hall on June 26, 2020 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marc Barreca has ordered Tim Eyman to sell his Mukilteo home as financial restitution for his outstanding $5.6 million in civil penalties over a Thurston County Superior Court’s findings of Eyman’s campaign finance law violations.
Eyman’s ex-wife, Karen Williams, will purchase the home for nearly $1 million, and the proceeds will pay Eyman’s creditors, including Eyman’s attorneys and the State of Washington.
In April of 2021, a Thurston County Superior Court found that Eyman repeatedly and intentionally violated Washington campaign finance laws in an illegal kickback scheme involving depositing checks made out to his initiative committee into his personal checking account.
On the hook for millions, Tim Eyman defaults on payments to state stemming from lawsuit
The Thurston County judge ruled that Eyman intentionally concealed over $1,000,000 in various campaign contributions, failing to disclose them to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Eyman’s conduct was “part of a pattern of violations, which resulted from a knowing and intentional effort to conceal, deceive, mislead and engage in collusive behavior [as defined by the law],” Judge Dixon said.
“Eyman will never take accountability for his actions because any acknowledgment of wrongdoing would undermine his attempts to pry additional dollars out of his supporters,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson wrote in a news release.
“Consequently, he will continue to falsely portray himself as the victim while losing where it matters — in court,” he continued.
Eyman has paid roughly $500,000 toward his outstanding civil penalties. The sale of his home will not absolve Eyman of the remainder of his judgment, according to the attorney general.
The settlement prevents Eyman from using his home as collateral on potential future loans to fund initiative drives, according to the Northwest Progressive Institute.
