The state Democratic Party filed a complaint today with the Public Disclosure Commission claiming Dino Rossi's non-profit is "functionally indistinguishable to that of a gubernatorial candidate." The Democrats say Rossi's fundraising and spending should be subject to the same rules as for political donations.

The complaint says:

Mr. Rossi's role is, specifically, to "speak out and take positions on issues affecting state government. These will be issues that are or could be affected by the state legislature, Washington State Governor and/or regulators. . . " See Attachment 1(501(a) Application). The president and executive director are also responsible for meeting regularly with community leaders to discuss state policies. Id. Similarly, the core activities of Forward Washington are akin to those of a campaign for public office. Core activities include, specifically, "speeches, statements to the media, forums, seminars and panel discussions, research into state government issues, . . . communications to state residents, [and] occasional paid media advertising". Id.

You can read the whole complaint here. Democrats say Rossi's "Forward Washington Foundation," a tax-exempt organization, is essentially a disclosure dodge created only after Rossi had formed, and then put on hold, a 2008 campaign committee.

Rossi lost to Gov. Christine Gregoire after a record close election in 2004, several lawsuits, recounts and a two-week Superior Court trial. Rossi says he won't make a decision about another run until the end of this year. But as Sean Cockerham reported in the New Tribune in May, he certainly seems like a candidate.

"I tell you what, if we did do this again, theoretically, we're going to need you and everyone you know," Rossi told a conference of moderate Republican activists. "You and everyone that you know."

Rossi said his family would make a decision before the end of the year whether he'll run for governor again in 2008. He's keeping himself in the public eye, going around the state giving speeches and signing copies of his book — generally acting like a candidate.

Everyone at this weekend's Cascade Conference of the Mainstream Republicans of Washington seemed to think he's running.

Recently Rossi has been on a listening tour asking people for suggestions on how to improve state government. To skeptical reporters at least, that has a campaign-like ring to it. This is from the Columbian after a Vancouver stop:

Republican Dino Rossi brought his "Idea Bank" tour to Vancouver Thursday evening in an event that he insisted was not a warm-up for a rematch against Gov. Chris Gregoire next year. Rossi, the former state senator who lost to Gregoire in 2004 by just 133 votes, is holding idea-gathering forums around the state in June and July — everywhere, he says, except Seattle.

...

Then Alice McClure said what was on everyone's minds: "A lot of us want you to run again."
To loud applause, Rossi smiled and said, "We'll talk about that later in the year."

...

Asked after Thursday's session why he would put forth so much effort to gauge public opinion if he weren't planning to run, Rossi chose to talk about Gregoire instead.

"All I have to do is say what I'm going to do and the governor does it," he said with a smirk. For example, he recently scheduled talks to business groups in Sammamish and Kitsap County. The governor showed up in both places the following week, he said.

I'll find out what Rossi has to say about the complaint. It is absolutely true that many complaints get filed with the PDC for no reason other than to make political hay and grab a headline. But the commission certainly finds merit in some complaints filed against a candidate by partisan opponents.

MORE: I just talked to Rossi. He said he assumed "Christine" would file a complaint against Forward Washington. He's convinced the governor is behind it. But, he says there's noting wrong with Forward Washington or his work with the foundation.

The Democrats claim Rossi s a declared candidate for governor in 2008. They base that on the fact that Rossi at one time opened a 2008 campaign account, then closed it before creating Forward Washington. Rossi says the '08 campaign committee was formed after advice from the PDC as a way to handle contributions to his legal defense fund for the '04 election contest. He says when the committee was shut down it was done in consultation with PDC staff.

"I never ever said I was running in '08. Those words have never crossed my lips, publicly or privately. ... I just tell people I'll make a decision by the end of the year and their complaint says I'm a declared candidate? Boy, they better check in with my wife."

Rossi said the Idea Bank is not designed to help in a campaign if he decides to run again. He said all the ideas vetted by the group will be posted on its Web site and be available for even Gregoire to use if she wants.

MORE: A spokesman for Gregoire says the governor was not involved with the Democrats' complaint. "We had absolutely nothing to do with the state party's efforts and there was no coordination at all," said Press Secretary Lars Erickson. He said he didn't know anything about it until he read it in the Slog today.

Last week at the Slog, Josh Feit wrote after reading a New York Times story about a questionable non-profit operated by presidential candidate John Edwards: "John Edwards Makes Me Think of Dino Rossi for Some Reason."

Today Feit writes that "Washington State Democrats apparently agreed with me." And of critics who knocked him for highlighting a N.Y. Times story some said was off-base, Feit wrote:

What do you Democratic Party partisan zombies say now? Are the Democrats being unfair to Rossi?