EVERETT—Former Everett City Council Candidate for District 4, Niko Battle, was found guilty Thursday, April 30, 2026, by the Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) of multiple campaign finance violations and ordered to pay $1,500 in fines and return campaign donations. Battle did not attend his adjudicative proceeding and has not responded to our request for a statement.
PDC Commissioner and Chair J. Robert Leach found that all of the allegations against the former candidate are of merit and imposed a $1,500 fine against Battle. He ruled that if Battle within 30 days were to return the $1,200 in campaign funds received and provide all missing reports to the PDC, a suspension of $1,000 in penalties will be applied pending he has no further PDC violations over the next four years.
An official investigation was launched against the former 2025 Everett City Council District 4 Candidate and Primary Election winner, after Ministerial Treasurer to the Friends of Niko Battle campaign, Jacob Read, officially filed a complaint on August 16, 2025, alleging “severe and repeated campaign finance violations.”
PDC staff alleged that Battle violated RCW 42.17A.235, .240, .405, WAC 390-16-043 and WAC 390-17-300 by failing to timely and accurately file C-3 contribution and C-4 expenditure reports, failure to provide campaign books upon request, spending general funds for his primary election and not returning contributions after being disqualified from the general election ballot.
“As of today, the post-election C4 and any other general election C4 reports that may be required have not been filed,” Colin Peeples, PDC Compliance Coordinator, said under oath during Thursday’s adjudicative proceeding. “Allegation 2: PDC staff have made numerous requests for respondents’ books of account, including receipts, invoices, and bank records. To date, only a spreadsheet with partial records have been provided. Allegation 3: Spending general election contributions for the primary election when doing so caused general election contributors to exceed the contribution limit and not returning those funds when once disqualified from the general election.”
Peeples added, “Due to respondent not filing all required expenditures and possible contribution reports, PDC staff has determined that at least $643.52 of general election funds were spent in the primary. And, you know, Mr. Battle was removed approximately September 9, 2025, from the general ballot. So there was approximately 35 days within that period that he was, in theory, participating in the election, general election, but we don’t have any records of C4s or C3s filed. So we can only go with what we have. And that’s it.”
According to PDC records reviewed by the Lynnwood Times, a Prill Paige of Seattle contributed $1,200 to Friends of Nike Battle on June 3, 2025, and another $1,200 on July 17, 2025. A person is only allowed to contribute a maximum per election cycle of $1,200. The second contribution, according to state law, must be spent in the General Election cycle. When Battle was removed from the ballot on September 9—after Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent ruled that Battle failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove he is a resident of District 4, hence resulting in him being ineligible to be on the ballot—he was obligated to return that $1,200 contribution.
PDC Watchdog Conner Edwards, on September 13, just days after Judge Okrent’s ruling, filed a complaint against Friends of Niko Battle alleging the excess $1,200 campaign contribution by Paige, along with several other complaints.
According to records as of April 30, 2026, Battle has received a total of $11,115.11 in cash contributions and spent $12,017.22. His last PDC filing was July 21, 2025, prior to the Primary Election on August 5, 2025. Treasurer Read resigned from Battle’s campaign on August 5.
On September 12, 2025, PDC staff requested Battle’s campaign books of account of which he partially furnished to PDC staff. There were no responses from Battle after multiple requests by the PDC to provide “complete books of account” as required per WAC 390-16-043(9), including invoices, receipts, bank records for all activity.
The campaign committee for Niko Battle has categorically denied all allegations of campaign finance violations filed by its former treasurer, Read, with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, calling the complaint politically motivated and an attempt to deflect blame for Read’s own shortcomings.
In a formal response, Friends of Niko Battle (FoNB) rejected every material claim, describing Read’s service as marked by repeated inaccuracies, last-minute filings and missed compliance meetings. The committee said Read filed the complaint after the primary to rewrite his failures as candidate misconduct.
Battle did not attend his adjudicative proceeding. The PDC confirmed with the Lynnwood Times that Battle was invited but not required to attend.
FoNB addresses each allegations
Read alleges that he was instructed by Battle to falsify campaign records; confirmed filing full, accurate, and timely C-4 reports; and states that Battle “failed to make their books of account available within 48 hours” when requested by The Lynnwood Times on July 31, 2025.
Read alleged that Battle instructed him to amend a C-4 Expenditure report to remove a conditional bonus debt (initially $750, later over $1,000), claiming it misrepresented the campaign’s financial status before a fundraiser. Battle also demanded misreporting direct expenses for consultants (e.g., lodging, travel) to obscure them as lump-sum payments, despite Read’s warnings of improper filing the complaint further alleged.
On “confirmed violation” No. 1 — debts reporting and falsification — the campaign said no reportable debt existed. A contingent “win bonus” never triggered because “the campaign did not win.” The campaign respondent denied any directive from Battle to falsify records and wrote that Battle consulted Read on properly reporting a pro bono website as an in-kind contribution and handling sub vendor travel expenses to ensure transparency, not concealment.
“Mr. Reed’s repeated amendments reflect his confusion and inconsistent advice—not any instruction to conceal,” the statement refuting the allegations reads.
For “confirmed violation” No. 2 — failure to file full, accurate and timely C-4 reports — FoNB blamed Read and called Read’s accusations a “political attack.” It said Battle required weekly compliance meetings during business hours that Read failed to attend. Read unilaterally prepared and filed incomplete reports late on deadline nights based on guesses, despite weeks of notice and authority to file accurately. Repeated amendments stemmed from the treasurer’s incompetence, not candidate direction, the response stated.
“Mr. Read’s narrative admits that he did not begin preparing C-4s until late at night on the deadline date, then filed “unfinished” reports based on guesses,” the statement read. “He had weeks of notice, a standing meeting, and the authority to file accurate reports on time. His failure to do so and subsequently filing a complaint against said candidate must be seen for what it is, a political attack.”
Battle required pre-approval for report filings but failed to schedule calls, delaying reports during the pre-primary window Read stated in his statement. This led to an incomplete C-4 report on July 15, with condensed vendor data, and an inaccurate report on July 30, 2025, based on “guesses” due to Battle’s unresponsiveness, hindering compliance, Read added.
In reviewing the PDC submitted campaign finance reports for Friends of Niko Battle, the Lynnwood Times 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.”
Read validated the Lynnwood Times allegation that Battle failed to provide campaign books for inspection within 48 hours after a July 31, 2025, request from the news outlet.
“I can confirm that, according to information published within the Lynnwood Times and my own account of events/interactions with Niko, FoNB has failed to make their books of account available within 48 hours,” said Read. “Further, Niko Battle lied to the individual [Mario Lotmore] who requested access to the books of account and made no effort at all to make them available.”
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 who spoke with the Lynnwood Times at the Shell gas station on Broadway from which $600 in gas cards were purchased, said 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.
“I believe there is sufficient suspicious data to merit an investigation into the legitimacy of these expenses, to confirm whether or not the food, coffee, and gas cards were really ending up in the hands of staff and volunteers, or if these were improper uses of campaign funds for personal expenditures,” Read stated in his complaint to the PDC.
The Lynnwood Times on July 31 and August 2 was attempting to inspect the receipts of these and the other questionable transactions. Read shared that the Friends of Niko Battle campaign’s books of account were entirely digital, with Battle having full knowledge of charges and receipts as the sole official handling them.
Read stated he could have prepared the books for delivery within 30 minutes if notified of a public request for inspection. However, Battle’s failure to retain receipts and documents, despite Read’s repeated requests, resulted in incomplete and unverified campaign finance records.
On “confirmed violation” No. 3 — books of account inspection — the campaign wrote that Battle consulted PDC staff the same day and promptly offered a compliant date, time and location for inspection. Any delay was due to Read’s lack of responsiveness over the weekend, it read. FoNB further denied improper use of campaign funds, stating food, coffee and gas expenses were ordinary and necessary for staff, volunteers, field operations and events.
“Mr. Reed offers no receipt-based analysis, witness statements, or transaction-by transaction proof—only “suspicion,'” FoNB wrote.
Read alleged that Battle instructed him to report a fabricated $1,000 in-kind contribution from Gordon Marketing and Management, owned by Battle’s parent, to falsely inflate fundraising figures and deceive donors, with no services provided.
FoNB rejected a false in-kind contribution, saying the pro bono website built by a third-party company—his family member— was correctly reported as an in-kind contribution to promote transparency.
Read then alleged that Battle impersonated his father in an attempt to, on May 16, gain access to the campaign’s BECU account.
“Despite repeated and clear refusals by BECU branch staff to allow Niko to access the account without providing a social security number, or presenting a physical ID over webcam banking, Niko continued to argue with staff until we were directed to the branch manager (I believe her name was Erika), who again refused to allow access without proper identification…. After terminating the call with BECU, Niko clarified that he had been lying to them (and myself) and that he couldn’t give them his SSN because he was impersonating his father,” Read alleges.
FoNB fully denied the “potential criminal violation” of impersonation or bank fraud by Read describing the issue as a dispute over the bank requiring personal rather than business information for the campaign account.
“Mr. Read admits he has no documentation, only speculation based on the candidate’s [Battle’s] frustrations after the fact,” FoNB wrote.
The Fall of Battle
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent ruled on Tuesday, September 9, that Everett City Council District 4 candidate Niko Battle, who won the Primary Election a month earlier, did not provide sufficient evidence to prove he is a resident of District 4. Battle’s name was removed from the General Election ballot in favor of third place finisher Luis Burbano.
“I don’t see any evidence here that supports the claim that you are living in District 4, city of Everett,” said Judge Okrent. “Therefore, I’m rendering judgment in favor of Mr. Demas.”
John Dimas, a resident of South Everett and President of the SPEEA Union, on August 18, filed with the Snohomish County Superior Court contesting the eligibility of Battle’s name to be on the General Election ballot in accordance with RCW 29A.68.013 petitioning the court to determine whether Battle met the residency requirements to run for office.
Battle told the Lynnwood Times after the ruling that he planned to appeal Judge Okrent’s decision and called it “a vast miscarriage of justice and of democracy.”
“It’s ignoring the will of 42% of the people of District 4 who chose me to represent them on city council, ignores the fact that none of the evidence submitted here today rises to the standard of any sort of evidentiary procedure that I’ve seen in any other court across this country,” Battle told the Lynnwood Times. “We will not stop fighting until the lady sings and she has not even taken the stage yet.”
He further stated that Judge Okrent did not respect the “administrative process” of the pending voter residency challenge case with Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell which took place the previous day.
On September 19, 2025, Fell issued a ruling dismissing the voter registration challenge against Battle. The Auditor’s decision comes 10 days after Battle’s name was removed from the General Election ballot and replaced by place finisher Luis Burbano, who won the General Election in November defeating Alan Rubio.
Dimas, who filed to have Battle removed from the ballot, also filed the residency challenge on August 18, asserting that Battle did not live at his registered address of 1730 112th St SW, Everett, WA 98204, known as Sage Apartments. Dimas claimed Battle’s actual residence is 1111 132nd St SW Apt. C, Everett, WA 98204, and supported his allegation with various documents, including a letter from the Sage Apartments manager and online directory searches.
After a thorough review of evidence and testimony related to the voter challenge, the Snohomish County Auditor concluded that Dimas “failed to meet his burden of proof” and that the “Challenge to Nikolas Battle’s voter registration is dismissed.”
“The Auditor concludes that the Challenge does not demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence sufficient to override Mr. Battle’s registration and its presumptive evidence of the right to vote,” Fell wrote in his decision.
However, the court decision days earlier sealed Battle’s fate.
In his ruling, Judge Okrent found Dimas’ evidence credible, particularly the Georgia voter registration data—discovered in a Lynnwood Times investigation—indicating Battle’s correspondence with the Georgia Election’s Office on December 9, 2024, and the lack of records tying Battle to the Sage Apartments.
“The Georgia tracking demonstrates that at least as of December 2004, you were a voter in the state of Georgia,” Okrent told Battle. “You claim to have come to the state of Washington in September of 2004. That’s serious. You have not registered within the prior time. I don’t see any evidence here that supports the claim that you are living in District 4, city of Everett.”
Judge Okrent was very pointed in his ruling around Sage Apartment Manager Patty Adams’ declaration, stating she has no record of Battle living at the claimed address, which went unrefuted by Battle, who subsequently provided no documentation—such as a lease, utility bill, or third-party declarations from those he is allegedly living with—to confirm his residency in District 4.
“Once that declaration was put in play, you had the obligation at least to refute that,” Judge Okrent said in his ruling. “Maybe there was a photograph of you. Maybe there was a piece of mail that you got there. Anything. You did none of that. There is no evidence, no lease agreement, and I understand you don’t have to have one, but that’s a factor. No utility bill. That’s a factor. No phone bill. No, not any single record that links you to 1731 12th Street, Southwest Everett, Washington.”
Okrent stressed to Battle that the motives of Dimas bringing his challenge forward are irrelevant. He stated that “it is the policy of the state of Washington that our candidates live in the area from which they will represent their constituency” in his ruling and that “non-traditional housing has nothing to do with that.”
“The constituency of Everett City Council District 4 requires a member of that district to represent them properly,” said Judge Okrent. “That’s what the statute says. And any elector who believes that the person who is a candidate is not a proper candidate has the right to challenge that so that the process is clear, so that the elections are fair, so that the elections are not overturned because of issues of residency, which clearly under the case law means you must demonstrate that you’ve lived there.”
Battle’s listed mailing address—his father’s, in Granite Falls—and the absence of a clear tax return address further weakened his case, Judge Okrent added.
“You list your father’s address as your mailing address, and he does not live in Everett,” said Okrent. “You will not reveal the address, or you don’t recall the address on your tax return. A simple reveal of the address on your tax return would have put some of this information in refutation. You didn’t do that.”
When asked after the hearing by the Lynnwood Times if he had a driver’s license and could show it to all the members of the press, Battle replied he has a driver’s license which was issued before his candidacy but that he doesn’t have his wallet on him to show reporters. When asked by Michael Whitney of the Snohomish Tribune the address on his driver’s license, Battle replied, “the same address.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
