Allegations of fraud have emerged regarding the public comment system used by Washington state legislators in relation to the proposed millionaires tax. Advocacy group Invest in Washington Now claims that there are tens of thousands of duplicate sign-ins for public hearings on Senate Bill 6346 and House Bill 2724, with over 100 confirmed fraudulent entries marked as "con" before a crucial hearing on Tuesday.
Among those whose names were allegedly used without consent are Sen. Victoria Hunt, former Rep. Derek Kilmer, and SEIU 775 Secretary Treasurer Adam Glickman. In response, Invest in Washington Now has formally requested an investigation from Attorney General Nick Brown and House Chief Clerk Bernard Dean to determine the extent of the fraud and its perpetrators.
The millionaires tax, recently approved by the Senate, proposes a 9.9% tax on personal annual income exceeding $1 million. This marks a significant move towards implementing a personal income tax aimed at high earners in Washington, a state that has not pursued such legislation in decades. However, the bill faces substantial opposition from various sectors, including tech leaders concerned about its potential negative impact on the industry.