I received the following from the Public Disclosure Commission. I had to tweak the chart formatting to make it look right here.
One of the ways that citizens, businesses, unions, organizations and political committees who want to support (or oppose) a candidate beyond the limited amount they may give directly to candidates is by making “independent expenditures” and “electioneering communications.” Independent spending usually takes the form of political advertising: yard signs, brochures mailed to voters, radio and television ads, etc.
Independent spending may not, constitutionally, be subject to any limit. Every citizen’s and entity’s right to free political speech means that they may spend as much as they choose to support or oppose candidates, so long as those expenditures are made independently of candidates and their campaigns.
$6.5 million has been spent this year on independent ads & electioneering communications to affect the governor’s race – this includes pre- and post-primary spending:
TOTAL FOR 2008
Gregoire $3,860 (for) $3,826,117 (against)
Rossi $321,554 (for) $2,350,346 (against)POST-PRIMARY SUBTOTAL
Gregoire $3,160 (for) $2,055,351 (against)
Rossi $44,790 (for) $421,216 (against)The Public Disclosure Commission tracks independent spending. Our tracked report is not limited to the governor’s race – it includes all state and local candidates and ballot measures. Access the on-line report under Spotlight On … at www.pdc.wa.gov.
