EVERETT—After requesting to inspect the campaign records in accordance with WAC 390-16-043 on Thursday, July 31, Everett City Council Candidate Niko Battle has yet to make his campaign finances available for inspection to the Lynnwood Times. According to state law, “The inspection must be allowed within 48 hours of the date and time the request was made.”
In reviewing the PDC submitted campaign finance reports for Friends of Niko Battle, the 2025 campaign reported data for Everett City Council Candidate Niko Battle, the Lynnwood Times has identified $5,928.93 in suspicious expenditures tied to the campaign for travel expenses, Airbnb, campaign management payments, gift cards, gas reimbursements, food expenses, and other expenses classified as “Expenses of $200 or less.”
So far from our investigation, $256.29 in expenses associated to a “Taqueria Costa” are listed with an address of Chervon gas station in Everett on Broadway; campaign management payments of $700 to a “Chris Roughlidge” that doesn’t appear anywhere listed in the U.S. yet Battle’s father “Erron Kevin Battle” is listed as his campaign manager with the PDC; Airbnb and travel totaling $1,019.31 listed as “Travel expenses for consultants;” another $880.36 in nine Shell Gas gift cards and gas reimbursements all from the same Everett gas station which may go against PDC guidelines; and $3,072.97 in expenses classified as “Expenses of $200 or less.”
An employee we spoke with at the Shell gas station on Broadway from which $600 in gas cards were purchased, told the Lynnwood Times that Shell Gas Cards can only be purchased using cash only. According to the restrictions on the back of the Shell Gas Cards, these are not redeemable for cash.
The Lynnwood Times is attempting to inspect the receipts of these and the other transactions.
RCW 42.17A.225 and 42.17A.235 require that candidates and political committees participating in an election to make their campaign books of account available for public inspection.
The Lynnwood Times sent a request on Thursday evening (9:49 p.m., July 31, 2025) to Battle’s email listed as the email “To schedule books review” with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. A reminder text message by the Lynnwood Times was sent to candidate Niko Battle on Friday afternoon, the next day.
Both the listed email and mobile phone number of the Battle campaign have been used since May 2025 multiple times by the Lynnwood Times to correspond directly with candidate Niko Battle.
Battle replied to the Lynnwood Times request on Saturday evening (9:06 p.m., August 2, 2025) with an email stating: “Following up on your request for a meeting. When is the best time for me to call you/set a meeting up?”
Lynnwood Times response (9:50 p.m., August 2, 2025): “Let’s meet 10 a.m., Monday, August 4, 2025, at Starbucks located at 3625 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201, to review the campaign books of account showing all contributions received, receipts of expenditures made and outstanding debts of Friends of Niko Battle.”
Battle replied to the Lynnwood Times’s Saturday email on Monday morning (8 a.m., August 4, 2025): “I’m happy to meet with you Mario, but 10am today doesn’t work. My treasurer does not work on the weekend, and I did not receive your request until your text message Friday afternoon/evening. I’ll need to call my treasurer during business hours today and figure out a time for him to come up from the Portland/Vancouver metro area, assuming you would not want to drive so far. When is a good time to connect with you and schedule time for your review of campaign finances?”
According to WAC 390-16-043, “The inspection must be allowed within 48 hours of the date and time the request was made” and “If the treasurer is located out-of-state, the default location must be within the state of Washington.”
Battle is an experienced campaign manager and consultant having worked as a campaign consultant and campaign manager for Rep. Brandy Donaghy in 2021, Edmonds City Councilwoman Susan Paine in 2019, a former Mukilteo mayor in 2019, and a former Mukilteo Councilwoman Sarah Kneller in 2017. Battle also worked on former Snohomish County Prosecutor Adam Cornell’s campaign.
According to the Battle’s LinkedIn account, he is the Senior Partner at Impact Public Affairs, which is listed as a “Political Campaign Consulting” business with the Washington State Secretary of State naming Niko Battle as sole owner. Battle’s LinkedIn profile reads, “With a robust background in public relations, fundraising, and campaigns, I have honed a skill set pivotal to navigating the political landscape and achieving client objectives effectively.”
According to the PDC, Impact Public Affairs, have performed campaign management and consulting services for the following candidates: Rep. Brandy Donaghy in 2021, Mukilteo City Council Candidate Carolyn A Carlson in 2021, Lake Stevens City Council candidate Jessica Wadhams in 2021, Seattle Mayoral candidate Jessyn Farrell in 2021, Seattle Mayoral candidate Lance Randall in 2021, Auburn City Councilwoman Kate Baldwin in 2021, former Edmonds City Councilwoman Fraley-Monillas Adrienne in 2021, Snohomish County Council Candidate Nicole Ng-A-Qui in 2021, King County Council candidate Saudia J Abdullah in 2021, Thurston County Commissioner Carolina Mejia in 2020 (equivalent to a Snohomish County Council member), Washington House of Representatives candidate Glenda Breiler in 2020, and Rep. Strom Peterson in 2020.
According to the PDC, Battle’s name is listed to have received $11,075.36 for his campaign services and his political campaign consulting business, Impact Public Affairs, is listed with the PDC to have received $39,528.74, for a total of $50,604.10 in payments for campaign related services from 16 political campaigns from 2017 through 2021.
The Secretary of State’s Office reports Impact Public Affairs administratively dissolved as of February 13, 2023.
The Lynnwood Times is awaiting a response from the Niko campaign of our request to make his campaign records available no later than August 4, 2025, for at least two hours (according to the WAC), to prevent a complaint being filed with the PDC.
Author: Mario Lotmore
