Kristen Chilson, of Winlock, recently submitted a letter to the editor containing malicious speculations attacking a local person she disagrees with, Brittany Voie.
The letter discussed records from the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) and how Voie was paid $500 by the Concerned Taxpayers Accountability Center to create the framework of an informational website, Bird-Docs.com.
It goes on to speculate Ms. Voie should have further disclosed her involvement in building a simple website when writing an editorial disseminated in a local publication.
Conveniently omitted from her letter was Kirsten Chilson’s role running Northway Strategies, itself a company paid to create websites for political organizations and itself a company involved in numerous local PDC issues. In fact, Ms. Chilson designed Lewis County Republican Party’s new website the second time in 2023 after LCRP first paid the Silver Agency (which is owned by Chronicle owners Chad and Coralee Taylor) for the same work.
No disclosures within her letter. No proper and ethical labeling or way for readership to distinguish that Ms. Chilson had her own company in this very same arena, a company which has actually been directly involved in specific recent PDC issues.
The hypocrisy doesn't stop there.
With her public facade as a political strategist, Chilson sanctimoniously attacks people like Ms. Voie who challenge an often overreaching local network of nepotism and corruption by exercising government accountability tools such as the Public Records Act and PDC, which are afforded “we the people” to keep our government open and honest.
Grifter Chilson submitted this letter for what? Relevance? Clients? A new tin hat?
Her blatant disregard for truth in pursuit of personal gain is shocking.
Instances of unreported in kind donations and other work by Northway Strategies raise concerns of corruption and potential violations of campaign finance and disclosure laws, some of which are currently pending.
The Chronicle also reported the same day Chilson’s letter was published about The Chronicle’s own recent PDC issue regarding commercial advertising transparency — suggesting broader concerns in this area locally. In this reporting, it was mentioned there are numerous outstanding PDC complaints locally, two specifically relating to Lewis County Republican Party and Commissioner Candidate Riley.
Both of those complaints also involve Kristen Chilson’s Northway Strategies having provided the services that were never reported and which gave rise to both issues to begin with.
The blatant hypocrisy of Ms. Chilson’s letter attacking Ms. Voie regarding the very things Ms. Chilson is currently involved in transcends political endorsements for gubernatorial candidates — it's a reflection of our community's lack of standards in this area.
It's high time we collectively move beyond these issues and into more openness, honesty, and transparency from our elected officials, advertisers and media entrepreneurs.
Kyle Wheeler
Toledo
