Forbes: Gov. Brown’s $2M from state vendors raises alarms

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

Forbes writer and founder of the national Open the Books transparency non-profit, Adam Andrzejewski, has discovered that 557 private companies that do business with the state have donated $2.6 million to Governor Brown’s re-election campaign.  Adam features this report in a new Forbes article. These companies have been awarded over $4.4 billion in state contracts with Governor Brown’s agencies.  This practice is outlawed in other states.  

Here are some examples from the report:

– Markowitz Herbold PC received $21.6 million in state payments since 2012 – the most outsourced legal work of any firm. Also during this period, Markowitz Herbold PC or affiliates donated $16,395 to the governor’s campaign.
– Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP or affiliates gave $26,437 in campaign donations to the governor. Separately, the firm collected $1.7 million in state billings.
– Stoll, Stoll, Berne, Lokting & Shalchter PC or affiliates donated $24,000 the governor’s campaign fund. Separately, the firm made $254,795 from state legal work.
– Stoel Rives LLP or affiliates gave $20,750 in campaign donations to the governor. Separately, the firm reaped $1.03 million in state legal work.
– Law Office of Erin Olson and associated entities received $1.62 million in state payments for settling tort claims filed against the Oregon Department of Human Services. Individually, Erin Olson gave $32,250 to the governor’s campaign fund (an amount that exceeded any other lawyer or law firm). Professionally, her firm was negotiating million-dollar settlements with a state agency. Read Ms. Olson’s explanation of her legal work and campaign donations.

Read the full Forbes article here.

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