Unauthorized haircuts and late campaign finance reports cost WA lawmaker $11K

(The Center Square) – The chair of the Washington State Republican Party says last week’s findings by the Public Disclosure Commission of violations resulting in substantial fines against Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, “defy common sense.”

Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, was responding to a request for comment from The Center Square related to a unanimous PDC decision to “impose a total of $11,000 in fines to a successful 2024 candidate for the state House of Representatives and his campaign,” according to a PDC news release.

Scott won his election to the state House of Representatives in November, representing the 43rd Legislative District.

Scott’s campaign, registered under the name The Fighting 43rd, was “issued a $10,000 penalty for reporting incomplete or inaccurate information on contribution and expenditure forms, failing to file or filing reports late, failing to accurately report debt, failing to provide campaign books of account upon a request for inspection, failing to include complete sponsor identification on advertisements and using an assumed name for sponsor ID,” according to the PDC.

Scott also faces a $1,000 fine for violating a ban on the personal use of campaign funds for expenses unrelated to the campaign – in this case, haircuts.

“Mr. Scott incurred $756 in campaign expenditures for haircuts from Supreme Cutz. This was a prohibited personal use of campaign funds, as this expenditure was not directly related to Mr. Scott’s election campaign,” according to the PDC Stipulation as to Facts and Violations.

Walsh was critical of Scott.

“Anyone can make PDC compliance mistakes,” he said. “But the degree to which Rep. Scott either ignored or willfully violated PDC rules seems to be what drew the agency’s attention. Using campaign funds for fashionable hair salon styling doesn’t just defy campaign finance rules, it defies common sense.”

PDC staff identified problems with dozens of reports leading up to the 2024 primary and general election.

“The committee filed late mandatory pre-general election reports – which are expedited reports designed to provide information during critical voting periods. The late reports, which were due in October 2024 and filed in March 2025, included more than $46,000 in contributions and more than $33,500 in expenditures. That activity – disclosed after the election – represented a significant portion of the campaign’s total $147,000 in fundraising.”

Scott didn’t dispute the allegations.

With each fine, the PDC suspended half the sum of each fine as long as the remaining half is paid within 90 days, and neither the committee nor the lawmaker commit any new violations in the next four years.

Scott's office did not respond to a request for comment.