Elected officials who make false statements and claims about election results could soon face criminal charges in Washington state, under a new proposed law.
Gov. Jay Inslee testified before the Senate State Government and Elections Committee on Friday, speaking in favor of the legislation that was requested by his office.
“I think after January 6, we have to ask this question: Do politicians think they have the right to foment violence and degrade our democracy by knowingly lying about election results?” Inslee said. “No, they do not.”
Inslee said the legislation is “pro-democracy” and would hold politicians accountable. He said he believes the bill is neutral and was written to protect the First Amendment. He first proposed the legislation earlier this month at a press conference, but the bill had not yet been crafted at the time.
“The big lie that we can’t trust our democracy to count the votes has become a weapon and that weapon is being used all over America, including right here in our state, and it will again incite violence,” he said.
Under the legislation, elected officials, or even candidates who have already filed for office, could face a misdemeanor charge for spreading false claims about the legitimacy of an election if it incites violence from others, or if it is intended to incite violence.
False claims from elected officials about being entitled to a particular office after election results show otherwise could also lead to a gross misdemeanor charge.
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