OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Facebook is facing a record fine for violating political spending laws in Washington state.

The Washington State Court of Appeals affirmed a 2022 ruling on Monday upholding a nearly $25 million penalty against Facebook for violating Washington’s Fair Campaign Practices Act.

The law requires businesses that sell political advertising to be transparent to the public about the ads and who bought them.

The state Attorney General’s Office accused Facebook’s parent company “Meta” in its 2020 lawsuit of selling hundreds of ads to political committees in Washington without making that information available.

King County Superior Court originally awarded over $8 million in civil penalties and $3.5 million in attorney fees and costs.

Both figures later tripled because Meta’s violations were found to be intentional.

According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, the fine is believed to be the largest ever imposed for campaign finance violations in United States history.