Washington AG Seeks Ruling in GMO Food Labeling Case

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is asking a judge to find that an Iowa-based group violated state campaign disclosure laws as it backed a 2013 food labeling initiative.

Ferguson sued Food Democracy Action! in December 2014, alleging it concealed the true sources of $200,000 in contributions it made to support Initiative 522. Voters narrowly rejected the measure that would have required labeling of genetically modified foods in Washington.

Ferguson's office said Monday that the state filed a motion for summary judgment in Thurston County Superior Court Friday. A hearing is set for March 25.

Ferguson alleges the group violated state laws by failing to register as a political committee and failing to disclose names of individual donors.

The organization's founder, David Murphy, says they were simply late in filing its reports and did not try to hide their donors or intentionally violate the law.

Ferguson has also filed a campaign lawsuit against the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which worked to defeat the measure.