A now-discontinued Facebook page called “Citizens for a Better Ocean Shores” was created with $750 in charges paid to Southern California marketing company and a filing fee for a registered political action committee set up to oppose the Ocean Shores City Council candidacy of Susan Conniry.

Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) records show the director of the political action committee is Jim Freeman, who provides an Ocean Shores Post Office box and a Torrance, CA address. The treasurer is listed on PDC documents as Jason Bennett of Argo Strategies, a Seattle-based political consultant with a number of prominent state and local candidates listed as clients, including U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Bennett, however, is listed as only performing “ministerial” functions for Citizens for a Better Ocean Shores.

“I was just the treasurer and they approached me to make sure the PDC reports got filed,” he said. “I am not clear on their intent.”

Bennett did clear up one misconception. On the initial PDC form, it appeared that the group was formed to support Conniry, but Bennett blamed that on a software issue and then amended the document to say that the committee was acting in support of Conniry’s opponent, John Lynn.

“We understand that although none of the advertising listed John Lynn, the limits of the ORCA filing software make it appear that the committee supports Susan Conniry, John’s opponent,” Bennett wrote to the PDC on Friday as the form was amended.

Grays Harbor County Commissioner Vickie Raines denounced the Facebook page in an e-mail to local elected officials, calling it “deplorable” and “despicable.”

“With as much hate and evil we see in this world everyday, do we really need this type of anti-candidate garbage right here at home? Who does this?” Raines asked.

Both Lynn and Conniry have repeatedly denied being behind or connected to Citizens for a Better Ocean Shores, and efforts to reach director Freeman were unsuccessful.

“Neither candidate was involved,” Bennett said. “It was an independent expenditure campaign that was fully compliant with the law.”

So who created a fake Facebook page using a Southern California company and a Seattle consultant to file the forms?

“The group has closed down,” was all that Bennett could say to that question. “They did their advertising effort on Facebook and decided to shut down. I’m not sure why. Maybe the funding wasn’t there after all, and so there is no more activity coming from this group.”

“I do not know for certain who the other potential funders were interested in this group,” Bennett added.

The group initially had filed its intent to spend as much as $7,500 to oppose Conniry. Bennett also told the PDC that the “committee has completed its advertising” and had filed its final report.

In a follow-up email, Bennett added: “Yes, this group was set up to oppose Susan. I am not aware of any plans to send out pro-Lynn voter contact but the PAC is shutting down so I am unclear if there were plans and they changed or if it was always the intent to do solely anti-Susan voter contact.”