Group alleges fake login used to protest Washington state’s ‘millions tax’
Invest in Washington Now, a Washington-based advocacy group focused on sustainable financial reform, alleges widespread fraud in the Legislature’s public opinion process has been used to publicly oppose the so-called “millionaires’ tax.”
In a press release and press conference on Monday, Invest in Washington Now said there have been tens of thousands of duplicate passwords used as input for hearings on Senate Bill 6346 and House Bill 2724. The group said more than 100 signatories flagged as “con” were confirmed to be fraudulent over the weekend and ahead of a public hearing Tuesday in the Finance Committee.
The Seattle Times reported on the allegations on Monday.
Among those suspected of being imitated: Sen. Victoria Hunt (D-Issaquah), sponsor of the millionaires’ tax; former Attorney General Derek Kilmer; SEIU 775 Secretary-Treasurer Adam Glickman; and WEA President Larry Delaney.
Invest In Washington Now shared a letter it sent to Attorney General Nick Brown and House Chief Clerk Bernard Dean asking for an investigation into the extent of the alleged fraud and who is behind it.
“This is a blatantly fraudulent attempt to mislead lawyers and the public about the level of tax evasion by millionaires, and the ability to commit this type of fraud could undermine the integrity of the legal process on this and other issues,” the letter said.
The billionaire tax, approved by the Senate last week, would create a 9.9% tax applied to annual taxable personal income of more than $1 million. The legislation marks the first time in decades that state lawmakers have pursued an income tax aimed at high-income residents.
The bill has drawn opposition from some tech leaders and entrepreneurs who worry it could undermine the industry by undermining Washington’s tax laws that favor startup founders, investors and high earners.
Opponents of the tax were pointing to what they called “the most unpopular bill in the history of the country,” citing the many thousands of Washington citizens who signed their opposition.
“More than 60,000 people signed against SB 6346 when it received an urgent hearing in the Senate,” said Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia) released a news release last week. “That’s so impressive that Democrats have tried to say bots are responsible, even though the Legislature is blocking bots. We know better.”
The official login page requires a CAPTCHA, a security method used to prevent bots from hacking websites. But Invest in Washington Now identified the frequency and high number of duplicate names, many logging in within seconds of each other, which suggested the possibility of automated login tools being used.
Hunt, who represents the 5th Legislative District, said he was signed on two charges.
“I didn’t sign ‘con,’ I’m not sure who did this,” Hunt said. “I don’t know why a senator would walk into the House floor in any event. It wasn’t me.”
SEIU’s Glickman said he strongly supports the millionaires tax, so he was surprised to hear he opposed the bill.
“It was shocking to say the least, when I learned that at 4:32 am on Thursday morning while I was at home sleeping, someone had put my name and organization in the official record of evidence regarding the millionaire tax,” said Glickman. “I was even more surprised when I heard that I wasn’t the only one at the weekend.”
Related:
- Proposed income tax for high-income earners in Washington state
- Opinion: Here’s what’s missing from the tax debate in Washington state
- Opinion: ‘Millionaire tax’ threatens Washington’s first economy – here are the statistics to prove it
- Opinion: The ‘millionaire tax’ is not an existential threat to Washington’s first economy
- Washington’s ‘millionaire tax’ targets high earners as tech leaders warn of early fallout
