Campaign Finance Reform - in Oregon

Oregon elections officials are still deciding whether there is enough evidence to ask Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to pursue a case against former FTX director of engineering Nishad Singh for donating $500,000 to the Democratic Party of Oregon under a false name.

At least $73 million of political donations tied to Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX may be at risk of being clawed back as bankruptcy lawyers sort through the remnants of his crypto empire in search of assets to repay creditors.

In just three years, the FTX co-founder built a massive operation to woo politicians, regulators and nonprofits to support his crypto goals.

Taking FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s money was already a bit of a controversial subject. Now it’s looking downright scandalous. But Democrats aren’t speaking up.

It was the largest contribution the committee had ever reported receiving in the 15-year time frame covered by Oregon’s campaign finance database.

A newly formed political committee will seek to raise and spend six figures to hammer Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and help her opponent Rene Gonzalez in next month’s election.

From COVID-19 to the historic expulsion of an Oregon House member, 2021 politics never stopped being interesting.

The voters of Oregon want campaign finance limits so much that 78 percent voted to amend the state Constitution last year to expressly allow them (Measure 107). So where are they? The Legislature s…

Billion-dollar donations would be legal under one of the proposals.

After talks between left-leaning organizations broke down, three groups have filed competing proposals for reining in political spending.

Citing The Oregonian/OregonLive's reporting, a U.S. senator questioned Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler about the influence of corporate money on environmental policy. Hear what the mayor said.

Campaigns in Oregon during the 2018 election cycle were funded largely by a few individuals and groups concentrated in the greater Portland area.

Reforming Oregon's campaign finance laws was a priority heading into the 2019 Legislature, but some advocates are underwhelmed by the proposals.

Oregon voters could weigh in on political contribution limits and disclosure mandates in 2022, if campaign finance reformers succeed in getting an initiative on the ballot.

Following months of negotiations, labor unions and advocacy groups did not sign onto a plan for creating new campaign regulations.

A coalition of campaign-finance-reform-minded groups have filed three ballot initiatives with the secretary of state’s office that they want to put before Oregon voters next year. Honest Elections Oregon says its initiatives will help reduce the “perception and reality of corruption” in campaigns, increase transparency and elevate more voices in elections.

Please visit mcelections.org for detailed information on campaign finance provisions.

The state’s election watchdog has the power to issue subpoenas, but doesn't use it. It doesn't send investigators -- it just sends letters.

At Mutlnomah County, citizen involvement spiraled out of control last year.

The ruling reverses an earlier decision that barred the limits. The county elections division will implement the $500 individual cap on campaign contributions, spending limits and disclosure requirements for candidates moving forward.

In 2018, just outside Portland, Oregon, longtime Washington County District Attorney Bob Hermann announced his retirement. To those in the know, it was obvious that Kevin Barton, a moderate independent and Hermann’s longtime lieutenant, was the best man to fill the spot. Well-liked and with no Republican challengers, Barton was running unopposed. However, hundreds of miles away a “dark money” group with $10 million from Mark Zuckerberg and zero connection to Washington County decided that this was unacceptable. To them, it was obvious that Washington County really needed a high-dollar competitive election with a radical left-wing contender. The people just didn’t know it yet.

Academics and board members say it’s unlikely things will change anytime soon.

Cash from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to have leaked into prosecutor races as part of his foundation's larger mission to reform the criminal justice system, a review of tax forms show.

Hall Monitor is a regular column on issues related to Portland City Hall and its influence on the community it serves. There are no fewer than five city bureaus in Portland that are responsible for trash cleanup in public spaces. Depending on the location, need, and availability, one of them might be able to address the growing dump site that’s popped up down the street from your house. If that fails, maybe you can just...