close
close
Ethics settlement in the Sellg Oregon Bourbon Scandal rejected

Ethics settlement in the Sellg Oregon Bourbon Scandal rejected

by

play

  • The government of the Oregon government's ethics committee rejected a proposed settlement of 500 US dollars against the former OLCC Executive Director Steve on his role in the rare Bourbon scandal.
  • Some commissioners believed that the proposed punishment was too low in view of the position of the markings.
  • Marks received a rare bottle of Pappy van Winkle Bourbon from the reserve of the OLCC, which the Commission said that it looked for his position for personal profit.

The government of the government of Oregon rejected an proposed agreement with the former executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabi Commission Steve Marks on May 9.

The ethics committee opened cases against six former OLCC employees in 2023 after the Oregonian reported an internal examination of OLCC officials who apply their positions to put bottles of rare bourbon for other high-ranking civil servants, including legislators.

On April 25, the Commission determined cases against the former budget director Bill Schuette and the former information services Jon-Kai Nakashima, who agreed to pay a penalty of $ 500.

The markings had also agreed to pay $ 500, but the ethics commissioners voted 7: 1 for the return of the proposed arrangement of negotiations, which indicates that a former executive director should receive higher penalties.

The ethics committee also postponed the campaign against Boba Subasic, the former Chief Information Officer of the OLCC.

Markings have violated ethics rules, the Ethics Commission of the Oregon Government claimed

Marks resigned on February 13, 2023 as the OLCC managing director after governor Tina Kotek called for his resignation. Craig Prins, then the general inspector of the correction in Oregon, was later appointed executive director.

According to the rejected order, Marks announced on August 30, 2022 to an OLCC investigator that he acquired a 23-year-old bottle of Pappy Värcs Reserve between 2019 and 2022 and paid the OLCC price of USD 329.99.

“The Commission claims that information about the availability of the bottles in the reserve has not been publicly announced that this information was only available for Steve Marks due to its position at OLCC and that Steve Marks was able to get a bottle of Pappy van Winkle from the OLCC reserve stock for 23 years because he was holding its position at OLCC,” wrote the Ethics Commission.

The acquisition of the bourbon meant that Marks avoided paying the costs that would otherwise be necessary for the purchase, said the command order.

The prices for the limited production bottles bourbon on the secondary market are between almost 3,790 to $ 4,600 per bottle.

OLCC regulates sales and the sale of distilled spirits. In 2018, the OLCC started a public lottery, the chance of buying programs that offers participants the opportunity to win rare and limited bottles with limited edition, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon like Pappy's. After distributing the profits, bottles of rare bourbons in OLCCS reserve shares are held.

The OGEC report repeats markings, and other OLCC employees could previously request bottles from the reserve stock before they have been added to the regular list of stocks that are available for the distribution of spirits transactions. In May 2023, the OLCC implemented a new guideline that prevented the employees from participating in internal diversion practice.

The investigators of the Commission said that a complete hearing would find that brands would violate three ethics rules, according to the final order of the Commission. Markings disagreed.

Markings “claim that he does not knowingly or deliberately violate these laws and argue against all applicable facts and the alleged violations of all legal facts and the alleged violations.

Marks was present on May 9th on May 9th during the meeting of the Ethics Commission, but rejected an explanation. His lawyer Robert Stinger spoke in his name and asked the Commission to accept the proposed final arrangement.

Stinger argued that Marks had bought a bottle and that it was “essentially” punished more than other OLCC employees who were examined. Stinger also argued that Marks had paid the amount that the Bourbon cost in Oregon.

If you are the top official, you should pay the top punishment, commissioner Dan Mason suggested. The 500 US dollar was in the area of ​​a criminal matrix of 1% to 20% from TThe maximum civil penalty of 5,000 US dollars, said OGEC Executive Director Susan Meyers.

“I believe that Mr. Mark as director has a higher duty to comply with the ethics laws,” said David Fiskum, chairman of the Commission, who voted against the proposed agreement. “I have mixed feelings about it.”

Open OLCC Ethics case, two current lawsuits

OGEC had planned to hear from the investigation of Bubasic, who said on August 22, 2022 to an OLCC investigator that he received “maybe four or five bottles” by Pappy van Winkle and Elmer T. Lee.

Meyer announced Bubasic that the commissioners Bubasic had agreed to continue the negotiations at a time waiver, and a planned coordination to move the investigation into a announced hearing had been drawn from the agenda.

According to their report, the employees of commissions demanded subasic sitting for an interview or answered written questions, but rejected his lawyers. The negotiations for a potential defined final order, such as the settlements between Marks, Schuette and Nakashima, also failed.

The OGEC investigator Andrew Mcintyre's investigative report said that the lawyers of the subasia said that the Commission was not a responsibility.

“The letter continues that even on the assumption that the Commission has an appropriate responsibility,” Mr. Subasic's decision to participate in a frequent and widespread practice, while an OLCC employee was not an ethics violation, “wrote Mcintyre.” During his term at the OLCC, he used confidential information as a state employee to avoid financial disadvantages To keep the conflict of interest and not disclose. “

The examination of OGEC comes to the conclusion that the Commission has legal powers and evidence shows that subasic violates ethics rules.

Two of the former OLCC executives have submitted complaints related to theIr -dates.

According to court documents, the former deputy director wanted Higlins on March 7 in front of the Marion County Circuit Court against the OLCC, the state of Oregon and Director Craig Prins, who claimed breaches of contract. The lawsuit has been published before the Federal Supreme Court since then.

Chris Mayton, the former director of the distilled spirits program, also submitted a lawsuit against the OLCC, the Ministry of Administrative Services and others and called for the violation of the privacy.

Dianne Lugo covers the legislative and equity questions from Oregon. Reach them at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com on x @Dantelugo or bluesky @diannelugo.bsky.social

Leave a Comment