Oregon ethics commission to dismiss complaints about Portland council texts

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Six Portland City Councilors won’t face an ethics investigation over their use of a private group text to discuss council matters.

About 13 complaints were received by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission after Willamette Week first reported on the texts, and all of them will soon be dismissed because of a loophole in Oregon’s public records law.

Susan Myers, executive director of the commission, told KOIN 6 News in an email that because the mandatory grievance process wasn’t followed, the complaints will be dismissed.

Myers said that Oregon law requires someone to submit a written grievance to the public body within 30 days of the violation before they file a complaint with the ethics commission.

The City of Portland did not respond to repeated requests regarding the number of complaints it had received on the matter.

The state ethics commission is expected to dismiss the complaints at its next meeting on Sept. 12.