Cathy Allen is one of the state’s most prominent Democratic
political consultants and an outspoken advocate for women in politics.
A former vice-chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus—a
progressive group that advocates for female political
candidates—Allen is well known as a progressive consultant and
women’s advocate.

Allen has traveled the world teaching women how to run for office;
she served on Hillary Clinton’s Washington State steering committee;
and she regularly delivers the “Democratic Party response” to election
results on KING 5. This year, she’s doing work for Governor Christine
Gregoire through Washington Conservation Voters (WCV), a statewide
environmental group.

Many of Allen’s clients and admirers will be shocked to learn that
she’s also working for two of the least progressive Republicans
in state politics: lands commissioner Doug Sutherland—whose
defeat Allen client WCV has named as its top priority—and
attorney general Rob McKenna. McKenna is known to be an opponent of
abortion rights (and an aspirant for higher office). In 2005,
Sutherland had to apologize to a young female employee for sexual
remarks he made about her; the woman quit the job shortly
afterward.

Allen did her work for Sutherland and McKenna through a PAC
controlled by the Washington Association of Realtors that donates
primarily to Republicans. In mid-October, the PAC cut two checks to
Allen for her work on the two Republicans’ behalf—a payday of
$57,560.

I came across the Realtors’ Allen expenditure while researching a
$15,000 independent expenditure by the PAC on behalf of Reuven Carlyle,
a Democrat running for state house from the 36th legislative district.
Carlyle will also benefit from an as-yet-unreported independent
expenditure by the Washington Enterprise PAC, a probusiness group whose
website identifies unions and “environmental organizations” as “the
competition.” (For more on that story, see thestranger.com/slog).

But as hypocrisy goes, Allen’s work for Sutherland and McKenna is
much more troubling than those PACs’ expenditures for Carlyle. Although
at least one Allen client is resigned—Kurt Fritts, head of WCV,
says, “sometimes your friends are on the other side, and it isn’t fun
when that happens”—it’s extremely unusual for a Democratic
consultant to cross party lines. It’s even more unusual for an
outspoken pro-woman consultant to work for two people one political
insider refers to as “an ass-grabber and a pro-life freak,”
respectively.

“It’s 2008,” adds this insider, who did not want to be identified
because of the sensitive nature of the issue. “If you can’t make a
living working for your own party this year, you shouldn’t be in this
business.”

Disclosure reports confirm that breaking party ranks is virtually
unheard of. Of several prominent local Democratic consulting
firms—Blair Butterworth & Associates, Moxie Media, Northwest
Passage, Fifty Plus One, Argo Strategies, the Funding Connection, and
Allen’s Connections Group—only one, Allen’s, is working for the
opposing party this year, interviews and reports filed at the Public
Disclosure Commission show.

When contacted, most consultants’ reactions were of the “holy shit”
variety, but few wanted to talk on the record. “I don’t want to comment
on Cathy’s business,” said Linda Mitchell, principal of the Funding
Connection and another longtime backer of female candidates. Blair
Butterworth said only, “We all choose who we sleep with, right?”

Another Democratic political insider said he was “shocked” by
Allen’s defection.

“You just don’t work with the Republican opposition,” said this
second insider, who also wished to remain anonymous. “If this doesn’t
take her off the Democratic response on KING 5, I don’t know what
does.”

Allen did not return a call or an e-mail for comment. recommended

11 replies on “Sleeping With the Enemy”

  1. I think I would like to know more before condemming someone like this. Not all Democrats are upstanding people, and not all republicans are devils. Has McKenna ever actually tried to challenge pro-choice legislation, is once ass-pinch enough to define someone’s political career. I’m not saying these people are saints, but if Cathy has done all of these pro-women things and chooses to do work with these people, maybe they have a good side too?

    Would it be fair to come at this from the other side and say that because Cathy associates with these ‘evil’ republicans that good organizations like WCV or the national women’s political caucus are also evil?

  2. I never pass up a chance to trash Erica for the boneheaded crap that she puts out. But this one is a real gem. Thank you Erica, for exposing this fraud.

    This person is out only for herself, and there’s nothing “progressive,” whatever that means and whoever is to decide, about her.

  4. I would think that capitalism over ideology should win in this case. Doesn’t Cathy have jobs to maintain in her consulting practice?

    Further, I like Per’s comments about this not being a black and white issue. All Republicans and their agendas are evil?

  5. Miss Barnett says it herself, “Democratic Consultant Crosses Party Lines”. In a time when there is talk everywhere about crossing party lines and working on both sides of the aisle for all things, be them personal, political, or professional it sounds to me like Ms. Allen is walking the walk. Anyone who takes even a moment (which I just did) to look into her past can see that Ms. Allen has worked tirelessly her entire career for Women’s and Minority rights across the world. Kudos to Cathy, a true progressive, for being the action that we ask of our political representatives and those who work for them.

  9. Because she has a track record of being less than honest, Allen has had a hard time getting hired by democrats in Washington state – I am constantly shocked that the local media continues to use her for commentary

  10. Cathy Allen has never been a progressive, as far as her records shows. She always goes for the center right candidate, often called ‘DINOs’. Her record as a political consultant is slight… it would not be too much to say that if Chris Gregoire goes down, it is on Cathy Allen (and her demented pet monkey, Dwight Pelz). Nothing would make Democratic candidates more successful than to get Cathy Allen out of the tent. I’ve been working on it myself for ten years.

    Here, Dino Rossi, I give you Cathy Allen, it is a present from me!

    Uncle Mike

  11. Cathy Allen’s support for Doug Sutherland removes any shred of “progressiveness” let along “Democrat” from her image. It’s not just a “once ass-pinch” thing (which itself understates the blatant offensiveness of Sutherland’s actions in that regard). It is that Sutherland is a total captive of the timber and mining industries that he is supposed to regulate on behalf of the public. These corporations are spending the part of a million bucks to keep him in office. The public which owns the resources Sutherland is supposed to be managing as the PUBLIC Lands Commissioner deserves better. And Cathy Allen should find herself without any further real Democrats as clients. DINO, indeed.

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