Our McClatchy Newspapers colleague in Olympia, Brad Shannon, wrote today about the state Democratic Party's complaint against Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna. At issue is McKenna's appearance in public-service announcements in an election year.

“These are not public service announcements,” McKenna foe John Ladenburg asserted in a news release, adding that as AG he would work for a ban on using an elected officials’ name or likeness in PSAs or privately sponsored ads during an election year.

The Democrats’ complaint said payment for the ads was by Boeing Employees Credit Union, Comcast and the Century Council. McKenna spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie said the three groups have longstanding connections to McKenna and public-service ads.

“Attorney General McKenna’s been doing PSAs since shortly after he took office. It’s a function of the office, and you’re asked to do public service announcement as a leader,” Guthrie added, citing ads done with the Century Council on underage drinking and preventing drunken driving and others on identify theft with BECU. “These are longstanding relationships that are consistent with work that our office does.”

Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz filed the complaint with the state Public Disclosure Commission. Among other things, the complaint contends that the ads on radio and television are “electioneering communications” that exceed limits for the 60 days prior to the Aug. 19 primary and also violate a $1,600 campaign-contribution limit.

State Republican Party chairman Luke Esser put out a statement late Monday saying the complaint was hypocritical since Gov. Chris Gregoire has appeared in many public-service announcements.

Esser also pointed out that Ladenburg, as Pierce County executive, had an ethical lapse by failing to fully disclose his ownership in a drug-making company that was receiving contracts from the county.

I wonder if the PDC's ruling would have an effect on those "Paul saves again" billboards around town featuring blood-donating Sheriff Paul Pastor - a guy hired by Ladenburg who's now running for election.

Update: Sawyer, Ladenburg's campaign manager, sent me a note complaining that Esser's "ethical lapse" comment is based on inaccurate reporting by the TNT last year. I have yet to see evidence that we reported anything inaccurate. However, I do think Esser is taking what we reported a bit out of context by saying Ladenburg "under-reported" his ownership of stock in a company doing business with the county.

That might sound like Ladenburg didn't report his stock ownership to the PDC. He did. It turns out, he had bought $2,700 in company stock, which was less than the $3,000-plus he had reported to the PDC. But it was more than the $900 he told a TNT reporter when the story first broke.

So the discrepancy came when we asked him what he owned, and he gave us a number, and then a month later he told us that he checked and realized he owned more than he initially said.

Is it possible he just didn't know off the top of his head? Sure, it's possible. If someone asked me right now about my stock holdings, I'd be guessing. We reported what he told us, and then we reported on it again when he made a subsequent disclosure.

The politicos can fight over whether there's an ethical lapse. I just want to make sure Esser's comment is in context.