Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, issued the following statement regarding new revelations of direct state support–with fuel surcharge dollars–for political groups spreading disinformation to attack the farming community.

“As we all experience the current record-setting ‘pain at the pump,’ most Washingtonians have no idea the higher fuel prices we’re paying here are helping to fund political attacks on farms in our state.

“The reality for Washington drivers is that some of the money they’re paying when they fill up is being funneled directly to activist groups like Yakima-based We Are ELLA, which has made a name for itself by pushing misleading and outright false accusations against farmers. And this isn’t speculation. The state recently admitted to supporting the group with nearly a half-million dollars in Climate Commitment Act funds.

“When we saw the official Washington Department of Health logo displayed on some of We Are ELLA’s troubling videos spreading false information attacking farms, we knew something wasn’t right. We complained, and now the Department of Health has confirmed it awarded We Are ELLA nearly $500,000 in CCA money, while attempting to distance itself from the group’s specific disinformation.

“The Department of Health told us the nearly half-million dollars of fuel surcharge funds supported the activist group’s ‘community storytelling’ efforts, but that the department did not sponsor its videos that attack dairy farms in the Lower Yakima Valley. This has raised more questions, as we struggle to grasp the difference between ‘sponsorship’ and supporting ‘community storytelling.’ These are word games, when what we need is accountability.

“The bottom line is that some of the extra cash you spend at the pump, thanks to the state’s fuel surcharges, is being used for political purposes by activist groups hand-picked by the state. In the case of We Are ELLA, part of your gas budget is being weaponized to falsely attack hardworking WA farmers, all with the help of state bureaucrats.

“Not only did the state fail to properly exempt farmers from the burden of CCA surcharges as required by law, but we’re seeing the program become a cash cow for opportunistic, virtue-signaling activist organizations eager to weaponize taxpayer dollars for anti-farming activism.

“We’re calling on the legislature to intervene and rein in this out-of-control bureaucracy. Immediate changes are needed to make sure CCA fuel surcharge dollars are actually used to benefit the environment, and not leveraged for political purposes to harm our state’s farming community.”

Press Contact: Dillon Honcoop, dhoncoop@savefamilyfarming.org