Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Olympia - May 12, 2000 - Three Intercity Transit employees and its board today agreed to settle for $60,000, a lawsuit that alleged they violated state laws.

The lawsuit alleged the defendants, collectively and individually, used the facilities of Intercity Transit – including public funds, employee labor, transit facilities and vendor/consultant contracts to promote a March 9, 1999 sales-tax ballot measure. The measure would have increased Thurston County’s sales tax to fund Intercity Transit operations and offset budget deficits.

The defendants have agreed to pay total civil penalties of $60,000, with $45,000 suspended as long they follow the settlement agreement. They also agreed to reimburse operational or marketing accounts that were used in the campaign in the amount of $20,000.

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