Follow The Money: The Small Web Behind False Attack Ad
SPOKANE, WA - The Spokane Good Government Alliance releases a statement in response to Citizens for Liberty and Labor’s false attack ad.
“Using a radical advocacy organization disguised as a credible media outlet as the source for their attack ads is laughable,” said John Estey, Executive Director of the Spokane Good Government Alliance.
“Range Media has proven itself a completely activist and partisan media outlet. But this latest barrage shows they have stooped to a new low. Conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, and dishonest tactics appear to be their new hallmark. Range Media’s Editor also owns the company that produced the ad. It doesn’t get much cozier. All of these organizations are run and funded by the same radicals who are trying to get Lisa Brown elected, and have been for years.”
Let’s follow the money:
Citizens for Liberty and Labor cited an “article” by Range Media in their negative attack ad.
Range Media is funded by the radical Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund.
Don Barbieri and Sharon Smith, main bankrollers of the Smith-Barbieri Fund, have also given tens of thousands of dollars this year to Lisa Brown and her radical slate of candidates, as well as to the organization that is bankrolling these negative ads.
Let’s not forget The Smith Barbieri Fund is also bankrolling the lawsuit filed by Brown’s close allies Julie Garcia and Ben Stuckart to try and stop a ban on encampments near places children play.
Of note, the Smith-Barbieri Fund is also the subject of complaints before the Public Disclosure Commission for their unlawful political activity.
The Editor and Founder of Range Media is Luke Baumgarten who also owns and runs Treatment Creative…which conveniently ALSO produced Citizens for Liberty and Labor’s ad.
Treatment Creative has been a hired gun for Brown for years:
Treatment Creative was hired by Brown's political PAC “509 Forward Sponsored by Lisa Brown for Congress” to elect radicals to City Council in 2021.
Treatment Creative also tried to get Lisa Brown elected to Congress during her failed bid in 2018.
Brown’s other political crony and recruit Paul Dillon, is a former director of Citizens for Labor and Liberty.
And let’s not forget that WA Department of Commerce Employee, Geoffrey Bracken, is the Treasurer for Citizens for Liberty and Labor as well as Paul Dillon, Kitty Klitzke, Lindsey Marie Shaw.
Mr. Bracken even appears to be conducting this work on the taxpayer’s dime, during the workday at the Department of Commerce. Did Commerce Director Lisa Brown know he was conducting political activities on her behalf while she was Director?
“Lisa Brown and her political operatives over at Range Media fail to mention that Lisa Brown helped fund the TRAC Shelter. They also fail to talk about Lisa Brown's disastrous record managing the Right of Way Initiative - the initiative that spent over a million dollars per individual to get them out of the system,” Estey continued. “Unfortunately, this type of hypocrisy is all too common for Lisa Brown and her political cronies.”
The Spokane Good Government Alliance was formed in 2019 to give members of the Spokane community a voice in the direction of our City. Our members represent a bi-partisan cross section of Spokane, with only one agenda: a safe, clean and affordable city where families can thrive, businesses can grow and law enforcement can be respected and supported.
