US EditionLongtime Oregon Lawmaker Repeatedly Broke Ethics Laws to Secure Hefty Raise, Commission Finds
Rep. Greg Smith secured a $66,000 unauthorized pay raise at the Columbia Development Authority and has not repaid the rescinded funds, the Oregon Ethics Commission found.
- In a unanimous vote Friday, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found Representative Greg Smith violated state ethics laws by using his office to secure a $66,000 pay increase as Columbia Development Authority executive director.
- A 2024 OLDCC grant application included a pay increase for Smith that the Columbia Development Authority board later discovered, and investigators say Smith did not inform the board and directed it retroactive to April 1, 2024.
- The Columbia Development Authority board voted in September to rescind the raise and ordered Smith to repay the extra funds, but investigators reported he has not returned the money.
- The agency can recommend fines up to $50K, and Smith may request a hearing or negotiate a settlement, with staff proposing a resolution by early January, Susan Myers said.
- The commission has opened four prior investigations this year into Smith, who supplements his legislative pay with consulting income and reported household income of more than $1 million at the Boardman-based Columbia Development Authority, which includes the Port of Morrow and Port of Umatilla.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Ethics commission finds state rep repeatedly violated state law in boosting his pay
A leading Republican state legislator in Oregon illegally manipulated his job at a small public entity to arrange a significant pay raise and then improperly kept excess pay, a state agency has concluded. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted 7-0 Friday that there was “sufficient evidence” to establish that Greg Smith broke state law against using his public office for personal gain and failed to disclose he had a conflict as he directed…
Ethics commission finds sufficient evidence Smith in violation of statutes, move to next steps
SALEM – The Oregon Ethics Commission has found sufficient evidence that CDA Executive Director Greg Smith was in violation of two statutes, moving the investigation to either a contested case proceeding or a negotiated settlement. The commission’s decision, reached Friday, followed an investigation that found a “preponderance” of evidence that Smith failed to properly disclose a conflict of interest and engaged in a prohibited use of his positio…
Ethics commission finds Greg Smith repeatedly violated state law in boosting his pay
A leading Republican state legislator in Oregon illegally manipulated his job at a small public entity to arrange a significant pay raise and then improperly kept excess pay, a state agency has concluded. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted 7-0 Friday that there was “sufficient evidence” to establish that Greg Smith broke state law against using his public office for personal gain and failed to disclose he had a conflict as he directed…
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