The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission has closed its case against the conservative political committee Let’s Go Washington, founded by entrepreneur Brian Heywood, finding no evidence that commentator Brandi Kruse secretly financed political advocacy. The decision was not an unqualified exoneration, however: commission staff called the case a close one and reminded the committee that paid or donated professional services must be reflected in campaign reports.
The complaint was filed May 12 by Sammamish City Councilmember Pam Stuart on behalf of Washingtonians for Ethical Government. The organization alleged that Let’s Go Washington had failed to disclose the value of political advertising and other services supposedly provided by Kruse in support of the committee’s initiatives. The case was formally opened July 6 and concerned state requirements for timely and accurate reporting of campaign expenditures.
At the heart of the dispute were not so much posters or television commercials as the territory familiar to modern politics between journalism, personal branding and advocacy. Kruse, a former Fox 13 television reporter, now runs a political project and podcast called unDivided. The complaint cited at least 159 posts and appearances supporting two Let’s Go Washington initiatives: one concerning parents’ rights in public schools and another concerning the participation of transgender female athletes in girls’ school sports.
Washingtonians for Ethical Government estimated the value of the alleged undisclosed assistance at between $345,000 and $1.25 million. Let’s Go Washington and Kruse denied from the outset that any contract, payment or other agreement existed. In its response to the commission, the committee confirmed that it had invited Kruse to speak at a February 2026 rally, but said it had not paid her and had not received a documented in-kind contribution from her.
The investigation found no evidence that the committee had purchased Kruse’s services to promote its initiatives. Commission staff also could not establish that her posts, appearances and participation in events constituted campaign contributions that had to be listed in financial reports. The decision noted that Kruse does charge for some public appearances, but not all of them; that fact alone does not turn every political statement by a well-known commentator into a campaign contribution.
This is where the commission drew a cautious but important line. Generally, a professional service that someone provides for free in circumstances where they would normally charge a fee can be considered an in-kind contribution. In this case, however, the issue involved political speech and a public position, and the investigation did not show that Kruse routinely sells such appearances or that Let’s Go Washington controlled her editorial work. The formal proceeding was deemed unwarranted, and no fine was imposed.
At the same time, the case file does not simply say that the matter was closed; it carries the status “closed with reminder.” The commission warned Let’s Go Washington that if professional services are paid for by the committee itself or by a third party — or provided free of charge for the committee’s benefit — those expenses and contributions must be disclosed. For political organizations, the reminder matters: transparency in an election campaign is often determined not by large money transfers, but by who pays for the work behind the scenes.
The decision comes as Heywood and his committee are again at the center of the state’s political life. Initiative IP26-645, backed by Let’s Go Washington, will appear on the November ballot. It would repeal the 9.9% tax on annual income above $1 million adopted in 2026 and prohibit individual income taxes. The tax is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2028, with the first payments expected in 2029. Closing the current case removes the threat of immediate sanctions against the campaign, but it does not erase the organization’s previous history: in 2024, the commission fined Let’s Go Washington $20,000 for reporting violations, conditionally suspending half of the amount.
Based on: Campaign finance complaint against Let’s Go Washington dismissed