The staff of the Public Disclosure Commission says it will investigate whether Dino Rossi's non-profit Forward Washington should be registered as a political committee.

The state Democratic Party filed a complaint with the PDC late last month. Democrats said the Rossi group is "functionally indistinguishable" from a campaign effort and that it is clear Rossi is running for governor.

Rossi has denied that, and said he did not create the group or set off on a statewide tour as part of any potential second run against Gov. Christine Gregoire.

PDC Assistant Director Doug Ellis said that Rossi and the Democrats will be officially notified Monday that a formal investigation is beginning. He said the key issue for the PDC is to determine is whether Rossi fits the definition of a candidate under state statute.

Under state campaign finance rules, candidates must disclose their donors and adhere to contribution limits.

The Democrats' complaint said that since Rossi once declared he was a candidate for governor in 2008 he can't now take that back and instead raise money and do campaign-like activities under the guise of a non-profit foundation. The complaint says:

Forward Washington's primary purpose and activity is like that of any campaign committee: to solicit and spend contributions in support of a declared candidate for public office. In devising the artifice of Forward Washington, however, Mr. Rossi improperly evades campaign finance rules applicable to other campaign committees. Because Mr. Rossi's ploy cynically operates to defeat the public's interest in fair elections and in complete disclosure of election campaign finances, it violates RCW 42.17.

That is the state campaign disclosure law.

Rossi is paid $75,000 a year in a part-time salary with Forward Washington. Rossi said when the complaint was filed that Democrats are wrong to claim he's a candidate, and if he's not, there's no substance to the complaint. Rossi said:

"I never ever said I was running in '08. Those words have never crossed my lips, publicly or privately."