Kotek ethics vote is tied

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission dismissed an ethics complaint against Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for her involvement of her spouse, First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, in the Governor’s Office.

The vote was tied at 4-4, with 4 members dismissing the complaint and 4 members asking for more investigation into the matter.   Those investigative-leaning 4 wanted to actually interview the three top Gov. Kotek staff members who left in protest over the First Spouse controversy.

The four that sided with Governor Kotek said that there was no nepotism law violated and that there was no financial benefit for Gov. Kotek.  Although, Gov. Kotek’s spouse was being set-up with an official government office, a paid government employee dedicated to work on her schedule, and examples of her spouse using her office to blur the lines into lobbying.   All three items together paint a picture of a conflict of interest.

SIDE-NOTE: There was a separate issue being discussed at the time of Gov. Kotek’s spouse having government security.  The Taxpayers Association of Oregon does not disagree with elected officials being provided extra security for their spouses, since we now live in an age of constant harassment and threats of our elected officials.   This age-of-harassment is made much worse when liberals push a soft-on-crime society and also tolerate such harassment — think of when Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had his condo set afire (with people sleeping inside) or Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzales had his vehicle set afire outside his home.   There was no widespread condemnation of this act or rally to their side because the people who did these acts of arson were Left-leaning politically, and they are given an excuse for political violence.   We once showed how liberals get a 75% discount on prison time when they assault police officers compared to non-liberal criminals committing the same act.  Threats against any elected official, regardless of their politics, deserves our full attention and support to stop it.

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