Capital Press reports that Washington’s attorney general Bob Ferguson filed suit against Food Democracy Action, a group that campaigned for GMO labels on food, claiming they violated disclosure laws by failing to timely report the sources of $200,000 it spent promoting Initiative 522.

The case is similar to a lawsuit pending in Thurston County Superior Court against the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which campaigned against I-522. The food industry trade group spent $11 million to defeat I-522. (We blogged about the case in January here). The initiative failed, but would have required food makers to label some products with genetically modified ingredients.

Ferguson’s office contends Food Democracy and the Grocery Manufacturers Association were months late in reporting their activities. The state has moved for summary judgment in both cases. Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission investigated Food Democracy after a lawyer filed a pre-election complaint on behalf of the “No on I-522” campaign. Food Democracy chairman Dave Murphy told Capital Press that his group did not intentionally deceive the state of Washington despite their late filing and claims his small staff was simply overwhelmed.

The Commission can levy penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and the attorney general’s office is pursuing the case in Superior Court, where stiffer fines are possible. Ferguson’s office did not indicate how much it seeks from Food Democracy, but wants at least $14 million from the Grocery Manufacturers group.

At a hearing Feb. 19, the Grocery Manufacturers argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because food companies started the fund without knowledge it would be used for the I-522 campaign. Food Democracy will also file a motion to dismiss the case against it.

A copy of the attorney general’s motion is available here.