April 04, 2024
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The Public Disclosure Commission will officially welcome its newest commissioner, retired attorney Jim Oswald, at its regular meeting on April 24 in Vancouver.
Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Oswald to the Commission, effective April 1.
Oswald is a 1977 University of California, Berkeley, School of Law graduate who spent much of his career in private practice in Washington. He is now retired and lives in Union.
Oswald said he “values the goals” of the Public Disclosure Commission, which include transparency in election spending and lobbying, and is looking forward to being of public service on the Commission.
Oswald noted that he has previously represented clients in enforcement hearings before the PDC. He is particularly interested in how artificial intelligence will affect digital political advertising, and upcoming PDC rulemaking on deepfakes, or synthetic media.
“I’m fascinated by how AI is going to affect everything we do,” he said, calling deepfake political advertising an “immediate, pressing problem” for the PDC to help address through rulemaking.
Oswald will replace outgoing Commissioner Fred Jarrett. Jarrett’s term was up in December, but state law allowed him to remain on the Commission until a replacement was appointed. Jarrett took part in his final meeting on March 28.
“It’s hard to overstate Fred’s impact on the Commission over the past five years, and we thank him for his steady leadership and guidance, particularly in the realm of strategic planning,” said Commission Chair Nancy Isserlis. “We’re excited to get to work with our newest commissioner this month.”