But it looks like the money’s already been spent.

By Erica C. Barnett

Seafor, the political group created by former Seattle City Council member Sara Nelson to funnel anonymous contributions to groups supporting “pragmatic” centrist candidates, has taken back the $30,000 it contributed to North Seattle Neighbors, a local PAC supporting District 5 City Council candidate Julie Kang.

Contacted on Wednesday, North Seattle Neighbors leader Jordan Royer said the PAC returned the contribution after learning about two complaints by the Progressive People Power (P3) PAC alleging that the anonymous contributions violated state and local election laws (the local complaint, to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, also alleges that Seafor failed to register as a grassroots lobbying group.)

“North Seattle Neighbors recently became aware of complaints filed against Seafor, alleging that Seafor had made a non-compliant donation to North Seattle Neighbors,” Royer said. “In light of those reports, North Seattle Neighbors over the weekend refunded Seafor’s contribution.”

As PubliCola reported last week, Seafor’s pitch to donors is that they can support candidates for office without disclosing who they are. Structuring the group as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, the website claims, “protects the privacy of businesses and individuals historically punished for backing fiscally responsible causes. Many of our supporters operate businesses, sit on boards, or hold positions where political activity isn’t tenable.”

Put another way, if you don’t want anyone to know you’re supporting a political candidate or trying to tip the scales on an initiative campaign, you can give to Seafor, which will clean your money and funnel it to the campaign without your name attached.

Under state election law, you can’t set up a pass-through to avoid disclosing political donors.

On its own website, Seafor more or less explicitly acknowledges they broke the law. “SeaFor’s donation to North Seattle Neighbors for the 2026 election was rescinded to comply with all applicable laws and statutes.”

Nelson did not respond to questions sent late Friday morning, including a question about whether the group will make similar, anonymous campaign contributions in the future. Seafor called the Julie Kang race a “test run” for the seven council races that will be on the ballot next year (whoever wins in D5 will have to run for a full four-year term). But if their model depends on using anonymous donations to fund independent expenditure campaigns, it may be cut off at the knees long before then. The two complaints are still pending at the state Public Disclosure Commission and the Seattle elections commission, which is more likely than the PDC to take up P3’s case.

North Seattle Neighbors already spent Seafor’s money, so they’ll have to raise enough by Election Day, November 3, to make up the difference. Under state election law, no individual or group can give more than $7,500 to a candidate or committee like (North Seattle Neighbors) in the three weeks before election day. As of Friday, the pro-Kang campaign had reported just over $15,000 in contributions from non-Seafor sources, including private equity director Collin Hathaway, developer Martin Smith, and philanthropist Michele Rosen, whose husband Stan Rosen is a real-estate developer. Royer said Friday he anticipates the group will make up the remaining debt with new donations.

Separately, the campaign for Nilu Jenks—Kang’s progressive opponent, who won 54 percent in the primary—filed a complaint against North Seattle Neighbors. In addition to complaints related to Seafor’s contribution, the campaign alleges that a mailer that went out on October 19 inaccurately reported the top five donors. Of the five, one—hotel owner Craig Schafer—isn’t listed as a contributor in North Seattle Neighbors’ campaign filings. Another, Martin Smith, didn’t donate until after the mailer went out, according to campaign finance reports.

So you may be wondering what North Seattle Neighbors is doing with its contributions. So far, they’ve sent out the mailer in the image at the top of this post, insinuating darkly that she supports doing nothing on gun violence “open-air” drug sales, and human trafficking. Here’s the flip side, which claims that a vote fro Jenks is a vote for cutting the police budget—which, reality check, progressive mayor Katie Wilson’s budget increases by more than $68 million next year.

Tents across from bungalows, wild claims about gun violence, and misleading claims about the enforcement of local laws? Sounds very 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025. Although the graffiti-covered surveillance camera, apparently yanked from its perch by hooligans, is new.