No on 522 breaks fundraising record for Washington initiative campaigns | Politics Northwest | Seattle Times

No on 522 breaks fundraising record for Washington initiative campaigns | Politics Northwest | Seattle Times:

First, it smashed the record for fundraising by a campaign opposing a statewide ballot measure.

Now, No on 522 holds the title for most money raised by any initiative campaign in Washington state history, period.

Bankrolled by out-of-state biochemical corporations and food industry heavyweights, the campaign trying to defeat GMO labeling Initiative 522 on Saturday broke the $21 million mark in total contributions, the latest campaign reports to Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) show.

In the process, the No camp surpassed Washington’s previous high mark of money raised by any initiative campaign.  The old record — set in 2011 by Costco-backed supporters of the liquor-privatizing Initiative 1183 — was $20.1 million.

The No on 522 campaign reached record ground fueled by last week’s contributions of $3.8 million from the food-industry PAC the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and $460,000 from biochemical giant Dupont Pioneer.

With $11 million in cash contributions so far, the GMA remains the No campaign’s top donor.  The food-industry group — financed by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, NestleUSA and Conagra Foods among others — only revealed its own funders this month after Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued it for campaign disclosure violations.