Meta fined nearly $25M for campaign finance disclosure violations in Washington

King County Superior Court Judge Douglass North found that Meta intentionally violated Washington law 822 times.

“Meta shall be assessed a civil penalty under RCW 42.17A in the amount of $24.660.000.00 for 822 violations of Washington’s Commercial Advertiser Law,” the judge ruled.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said that the judgment was the largest campaign finance penalty anywhere in the country  

“The court granted my request for Facebook to face the maximum $24.6 million penalty for intentionally violating Washington's campaign finance law 822 times. This is the largest campaign finance penalty ever imposed -- not just in Washington, but anywhere,” Ferguson said in a statement on Twitter. (ILKHA)

Interestingly, the second largest campaign finance penalty ever is $9 million, which we secured against GMA this year.

Special interests may be able to skirt campaign finance laws in most states with a slap on the wrist.

Not in Washington. https://t.co/MvPaZ4DpK0

— Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonAG) October 27, 2022