Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
9
Former police officer Jeffrey Kienlen
to sue over wrongful termination
Alana Lackner
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
followed Ellis’ discovery of a
disciplinary letter from 2011
in his desk, just a few days
after taking over the position
THE DALLES — Former
as Wasco County District
The Dalles Police Officer
Attorney.
Jeffrey Kienlen gave notice
The letter was a Notice of
on July 13 that he would be
filing a wrongful termination Discipline from the Chief of
lawsuit against the City of The Police detailing an incident
in which Kienlen was to
Dalles.
attend a training in Eugene,
Kienlen was terminated
on March 5 following Wasco Ore., with another officer.
Kienlen requested a separate
County District Attorney
room, which the Chief of
Matthew Ellis’ decision to
Police denied. Kienlen then
add Kienlen to the county’s
requested to take his city car
Tier 1 Brady list — the most
severe administrative penalty in order to visit his cousin
who lived in Eugene, which
prosecutors can apply to
was approved.
law enforcement officials
However, according to the
— which rendered Kienlen
letter, Kienlen told the other
unable to testify in court.
officer he would be staying
The decision to add
with a cousin near Salem,
Kienlen to the Brady list
Ore. When questioned
about where he had stayed,
Kienlen told the Chief of
Police he had stayed at the
Riverview Inn on Monday
and Thursday, but would
not initially disclose where
he stayed on Tuesday or
Wednesday.
After further discussion,
Kienlen admitted he spent
these nights at the Comfort
Suites in Salem with a
partner. He also admitted his
cousin lives in Hubbard and
he didn’t have a cousin in
Eugene.
The letter stated that this
was a violation of policy
W.1.1.100.040 - Truthfulness.
It also mentioned an incident
from 2010 in which he was
found in possession of a
Stinger.22 pen gun that had
been entered into evidence.
After this incident, Kienlen
was disciplined and told “any
further violations of Policy
and Procedures may result in
further discipline up to and
including termination.”
On the back of these
two incidents, Kienlen was
demoted from Sergeant to
Officer, according to the
letter.
Following the discovery of
the letter, Kienlen was placed
on administrative leave in
January 2021, as the district
attorney’s office began an
investigation into the matter.
The letter had not been dis-
closed to defense attorneys in
cases where Kienlen testified,
which could’ve called into
question his reliability as a
witness. Upon reviewing cas-
es Kienlen was a state witness
in, many open misdemeanor
cases were dismissed.
The office found that
Kienlen should be placed
onto the Brady list at Tier 1
for “intentional and mali-
cious deceptive conduct,”
rather than Tier 2, which
would indicate an intention
to deceive that wasn’t mali-
cious in nature.
Tier 2 would’ve required
the Notice of Discipline to
always be presented at court,
but would not have prevent-
ed Kienlen from testifying.
Because Kienlen was placed
on Tier 1, he was thereby
unable to testify in court, pro-
hibiting him from being able
to do his job. For this reason,
he was terminated.
Kienlen is currently being
represented by Thenell Law
Group in the pending suit for
wrongful termination. The
law group announced both
the suit and their request for
all department material re-
garding Kienlen from January
1991 to present, so they can
compile their case.
City Attorney Jonathan
Kara said the city does not
comment on pending litiga-
tion or litigation expected to
be filed, but confirmed they
did receive a Tort Claims
Notice and Preservation and
Public Records Request relat-
ed to the matter on July 15.
Oregon Dems blast own party for ‘arrogant’ moves
Gary A. Warner
■ By Oregon
Capital Bureau
U.S. House Minority Leader
Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Their bitter reproach
A pandemic political deal was aimed at Oregon
and feuding Democrats have House Speaker Tina Kotek,
D-Portland, who had struck
made for a noisy start to the
a deal to end a slowdown
makeover of Oregon’s con-
during the 2021 legislative
gressional maps in time for
session by giving Republicans
the 2022 election.
a seat on the House
What was supposed to be
a solo slam dunk has turned Redistricting Committee. It
into a three-way high-speed would be an even 3-3 split
between parties.
slam dance.
Kotek argued Oregon
Not just Democrats vs.
Republicans, but Democrats needed the deal to pass ma-
vs. Democrats.
jor bills on housing, unem-
“It’s just inexplicable and
ployment, health, and other
arrogant,” U.S. Rep. Peter
issues. Besides, Democrats
DeFazio, D-Springfield, told
have argued in the past that
Politico magazine last month. political parity was good
“Like shooting yourself in
government.
the head,” said U.S. Rep. Kurt
National Democrats called
Schrader, D-Salem.
it the latest in a string of state
The Democratic duo
Democrats “unilaterally dis-
wasn’t hammering former
arming” their political advan-
President Donald Trump or
tage on redistricting in the
shrinking number of states
where Republicans didn’t
control the Legislatures and
governorship.
“In rabid partisan states
that are controlled by
Republicans, they’re carving
up left and right,” said Rep.
Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia.
Will history stick to script?
Oregon was supposed to
be a bright spot in 2022 — a
Democratic-controlled state
that was getting a sixth con-
gressional seat.
Democrats need all the
help they can get. Since
World War II, the party of a
new president — Republican
or Democrat — averages a
loss of 26 seats in the first
midterm election. The Senate
is harder to forecast because
of staggered six-year terms.
But the president’s party typi-
cally loses two Senate seats.
If history sticks to the
script, Republicans will wake
up the morning after the Nov.
8, 2022, election in control of
the House and Senate.
The national political map
will have to play itself out.
The big question in Oregon
was when the Legislature
would get the block-by-block
data needed.
On Thursday, the U.S.
Census announced the Aug.
15 date for sending packets to
the states was on track.
It wasn’t supposed to work
out this way. Democrats had
big majorities in both cham-
bers of the Legislature and
fellow Democrat, Gov. Kate
Brown, to give her stamp of
approval.
There would be none of
the partisan tussle of the
redistricting for the 2002
election or the forced smile
compromise of the 2012 dis-
tricts drawn by a power-split
Legislature.
Democrats would make
the maps and approve the
maps. Republicans could
make noise, but not much
else.
Then came the COVID-19
pandemic and like every
other part of life, redistricting
plans teetered and fell.
The census count would
have fits of stop-and-start.
Dates for getting data to the
Oregon Legislature were
pushed back again and again.
Constitutional deadlines
were missed. The Oregon
Supreme Court had to step
in.
It ordered a timeline
do-over. But at politically
hypersonic speed.
The House and Senate re-
districting committees would
receive the data in mid-Au-
gust. But meeting outside
of a legislative session, the
“interim” committee could
talk and plan.
They had a starting point:
round numbers. The new
official population of Oregon
was 4,237,256.
Each of the 30 Senate
districts would include an
average of 141,242 people.
Nestled within each Senate
district would be two House
districts — a total of 60 —
with an average population
of 70,621.
The tougher task will be
Congress. With six districts,
each would have 706,209
people.
But exactly where and how
the changes will be mapped
won’t be known until next
month.
The Mid-Columbia MARKETPLACE
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EMAIL
541-980-7770
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bobs@copperwest.com
314 Lincoln St, The Dalles
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Loan Officer
406 Washington Street
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Cell: 541.980.5973
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