Subsequent controversies
The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission opened an investigation in 1997 relating to campaign contributions received from the Chinese Americans and foreign nationals. In example, the Ling Chen Zhe Buddhist temple, [18] where a $5000 cash donation was accepted, returned and five $1000 donations were given in its place. Together with official campaign events held at the Harmony Palace restaurant, co-owned by a leader of the Chinese gang Ghost Shadows. In total, six fundraising events for the Locke campaign were organized by John Huang, who donated $750 personally, with similar occurrences at each one. [19]
This investigation was subsequently picked up (as part of a probe into the 1996 campaign finance scandal) by the IRS, who requested records extending to 1990, the time of Locke's campaign for King County executive. [20] Locke testified before Congress in 2006 [21] and denied knowingly accepting campaign contributions from Chinese foreign agents. In 2015, the Locke gubernatorial campaign plead guilty to breaking three campaign fundraising laws relating to the limits for individual contribution, timely reporting of contributions, and failure to deposit cash contributions. [22]
Ellen Craswell battled cancer immediately following the election, retired in 2005, and died in 2008. [23]
