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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2017)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Loophole makes it tough to follow money in Oregon campaigns pass-through contributions. “That would be a really difficult thing to do,” said Jennifer Hertel, a compliance specialist and lead worker on the campaign finance team at the Secretary of State’s office. Hertel said the Legislature has a strong hand in what her office is working on. So, until regulation requires they expand to that level of transparency, it’s unlikely to happen. By COOPER GREEN Statesman Journal SALEM — Oregon’s campaign finance law was built around a tradeoff. Any donor — whether in-state, out-of-state, special interest or corporate — can give unlimited amounts of cash to any state candidate as long as there is complete transparency. This keeps citi- zens informed and candidates aware their actions are public. But there’s a hole in the system. The public can only see single transactions on the state’s website and in public records. If a candidate passes contributions to another candi- date, or to a re-election fund for fellow party members, the public can no longer see the money’s original donor. These transactions are known as pass-throughs — contributions that are essentially donations from one legislator to another, allowed in unlimited quantity under Oregon law. Critics, including past and present lawmakers, say this allows a loophole in transpar- ency. Consider one example. In April 2016, Citizen Action for Political Education, an election-focused division of the public employees union SEIU, donated $10,000 to House Speaker Tina Kotek’s campaign fund. In August 2016, Kotek moved $30,000 to Future PAC House Builders, a pool fund designed to help elect Democrat candidates. It fulfilled this duty in late October by sending $8,500 to Ray Lister in a last-ditch effort to help him overcome Republican Richard Vial. The public can see each individual transaction on the Secretary of State’s website, but they can’t see the web that connects them. There’s no way to tell whether it was CAPE money that funded Lister’s campaign, some of Kotek’s, or both. The finance database doesn’t track money once it moves through more than one committee or campaign fund, and candidates aren’t required to disclose original sources for “The subterfuge creates an environment where the power becomes more and more concentrated.” — Edwin Bender, National Institute on Money in Politics “Until you have something like that as a mechanism to require it, the resources are going to be used for other things,” she said. Transactions between legislators, or between legisla- tors and re-election funds, are commonplace and have been for decades. Statesman Journal analysis of campaign finance shows that legislative officeholders and candidates have utilized this system of pass-throughs more than 2,800 times in the last three election cycles alone, transferring $18.7 million dollars between themselves. Based on the total amount contributed to legislators during that time, this means that more than a quarter of all money involved in legislative campaigns has seen more than one lawmaker as it moves through the system. Legislators point out this collecting and distributing of funds is legal under Oregon’s campaign finance laws. They say it helps strengthen their party, and thereby its financial supporters. Critics argue that pass- throughs hide the original source of funds from Oregon citizens, centralize power within the legislative leader- ship, and prevent donors from knowing whether their money actually went toward their intended cause. Not all the critics are outside the capitol. “I’ve known about that practice for a long time, although I do not engage in it,” said Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, who has served in the Legislature for more than 15 years. “What surprises me is the amount. When I learned the aggregate amount it was jaw-dropping.” Although nearly every Oregon legislator utilizes pass-throughs during election season, party leaders do the heavy lifting. In the Statesman Journal analysis, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, and House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, each accounted for $1.4 million of pass-throughs. Senate leadership followed suit, with Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, each passing through more than $700,000. All told, these four legisla- tors accounted for 23 percent of all funds passed through since 2011. If you factor in the Political Action Committees these leaders control, their total rises further. Four major PACs, called caucus or leadership commit- tees, collect funds from donors as well as other legislators and disperse the money to candidates during campaign season. A committee exists for each party in the House and the Senate. The same four legislators — Courtney, Ferrioli, Kotek and McLane — are in charge of the committees. This isn’t surprising to those who understand one of the major purposes of pass- throughs — to consolidate and disperse influence. “The subterfuge creates an environment where the power becomes more and more concentrated,” said Edwin Bender, executive director of the nonpartisan National Insti- tute on Money in Politics, a nonprofit which compiles and SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. PORTLAND (AP) — Police said they made seven arrests as they clashed with anti-fascist protesters in Portland on Sunday. Hundreds of people turned out to oppose a much smaller demonstration by the right-wing Patriot Prayer group. The Portland Police Bureau credited the main permitted protest, Portland Stands United Against Hate, with a peaceful event, but said a gathering at Waterfront Park turned “violent and criminal,” with anti-fascist protesters throwing smoke devices and other projectiles at officers in a waterfront park. Police responded with pepper spray and warnings that the crowd would be arrested if it didn’t disperse. The department said on its Twitter feed that two officers had been injured and that photographers had also been attacked. The Patriot Prayer group also held a demonstration featuring speakers, including group leader Joey Gibson, in Vancouver, Washington, later Sunday. Officials in Washington and Oregon closed the footpath of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River between the cities. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that a protester had also been arrested at the Vancouver event. Portland police said they sent officers to Vancouver to assist law enforcement there. Hiker missing after 800-foot fall TILLAMOOK (AP) — A hiker from British Columbia is missing in Oregon after falling 800 feet from a cliff near Devil’s Cauldron and into the Pacific Ocean below. The Oregon State Police said Monday that search teams recovered the backpack of 51-year-old Joseph McDonald Lescene in the water Monday but have not found him. A second hiker, 42-year-old Sarah Jones Lescene, was not injured. Nearby hikers heard her screams and called 911. No foul play is suspected. Devil’s Cauldron is a sheer promontory along Oregon’s Pacific Coast that is on a rugged oceanside trail popular with hikers. It is about 90 miles northwest of Portland. Blogger ordered to remove names of Bundy informants he outed PORTLAND (AP) — A federal judge gave a blogger until noon Wednesday to delete information he published about confidential informants who helped law enforcement during last year’s takeover of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon. In an opinion posted late last week, U.S. District Judge Anna Brown found Gary Hunt in civil contempt of a court order. She said Hunt faces “coercive sanctions” if he does not comply with the deadline. Hunt, 71, of Los Molinos, California, has been ignoring a cease-and-desist letter he received Jan. 5. At a hearing last month in Portland, Hunt argued his case, but said he would comply with the judge’s order if she ruled against him. Dozens of people, including nine informants, occupied the remote Malheur National Wildlife Refuge from Jan. 2 to Feb. 11, 2016. Led by Ammon Bundy, they were protesting federal control of public lands and the imprisonment of two ranchers. Corrections The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Kimberly Macias 541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255 before noon Tuesday through Friday or before 10 a.m. Saturday for same-day redelivery 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays Police arrest anti-fascist protesters makes available campaign finance data from around the country. “The power dynamic shifts more toward the incumbents, more towards the lobbyists and away from people.” When asked about the practice, legislative leaders declined to discuss it. McLane didn’t respond to nine requests for comment. Kotek, Courtney and Ferrioli all declined to answer questions, but their offices provided written statements. Kotek’s office defended the practice as legal. “I’m invested in the effort to recruit and elect strong local leaders to the Oregon House of Representa- tives,” Kotek’s statement read. “My supporters know that, and all campaign transactions are posted online and fully available to the public.” In Courtney’s statement, he said passing campaign cash from his account to other candidates is part of his job as a legislative leader. “When people give to my campaign committee, they know it’s possible their donation will be used for that purpose and it is permitted under Oregon law,” the state- ment said. Ferrioli’s office called the issue a “distraction” during the legislative session and declined to discuss it. Ferrioli also did not respond to a request for comment after the session ended in July. Pass-throughs help legisla- tive leaders centralize power, Bender said. Lawmakers with the most clout can distribute money to the candidates they choose. In turn, those candidates are indebted to the party and its leadership. This can make a difference when it comes time to cast a vote. Because pass-throughs make the money trail invisible to citizens, there’s no way to tell what alliances may exist. Phil Keisling, a former Oregon secretary of state and state representative, said consolidation of influence contributes to a larger problem with unlimited campaign contributions: Voters lose their voice when candidates can turn to a select few for their money. Subscriber services: For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — BRIEFLY Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 • fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group REGIONAL CITIES Forecast TODAY WEDNESDAY Hazy sun and smoky Cooler with clouds and sun 90° 57° 77° 49° THURSDAY FRIDAY Partly sunny Partly sunny SATURDAY Sunny and nice PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 69° 51° 70° 44° 73° 47° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 79° 50° 93° 59° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 87° 80° 100° (1899) 50° 51° 32° (1904) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.00" Trace 0.17" 11.37" 7.69" 8.55" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 87° 81° 98° (1944) 47° 50° 33° (2012) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.00" 0.00" 0.12" 6.65" 5.40" 6.24" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New Sep 12 Sep 19 6:30 a.m. 7:12 p.m. 11:27 p.m. 1:39 p.m. First Full Sep 27 74° 44° 76° 40° Seattle 74/54 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 74° 49° Oct 5 Today Spokane Wenatchee 84/54 85/58 Tacoma Moses 77/49 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 89/55 86/54 68/51 77/46 91/53 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 78/50 89/62 Lewiston 92/58 Astoria 90/59 67/51 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 81/53 Pendleton 85/47 The Dalles 93/59 90/57 91/59 La Grande Salem 87/48 85/51 Albany Corvallis 87/49 85/49 John Day 89/54 Ontario Eugene Bend 89/60 85/50 87/49 Caldwell Burns 89/61 86/45 Astoria Baker City Bend Brookings Burns Enterprise Eugene Heppner Hermiston John Day Klamath Falls La Grande Meacham Medford Newport North Bend Ontario Pasco Pendleton Portland Redmond Salem Spokane Ukiah Vancouver Walla Walla Yakima Hi 67 87 87 73 86 85 85 88 93 89 84 87 85 89 65 67 89 91 90 81 89 85 84 87 83 89 91 Lo 51 46 49 57 45 47 50 57 59 54 47 48 46 56 49 51 60 55 57 53 45 51 54 46 52 62 53 W pc s pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc t pc pc pc pc pc s pc pc s pc s pc pc s pc pc NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Wed. Hi 66 79 75 70 83 76 73 75 79 80 82 76 73 80 63 65 87 79 77 72 77 73 72 74 71 76 78 Lo 48 37 39 52 38 44 45 48 50 47 42 41 40 48 48 49 55 46 49 52 36 48 47 41 50 53 45 W pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 86 94 92 64 72 75 65 76 79 83 84 Lo 64 78 69 52 48 59 55 59 57 65 75 W s s s pc pc pc pc s s pc sh Wed. Hi 87 92 90 62 74 74 64 77 76 88 85 Lo 66 79 69 48 55 53 51 61 56 52 71 W pc s s t pc sh r s s s pc WINDS Medford 89/56 (in mph) Klamath Falls 84/47 Boardman Pendleton REGIONAL FORECAST Eastern Washington: Hazy sun today; smoky. Partly cloudy tonight; smoky. Times of clouds and sun tomorrow. Cascades: Sunshine mixing with clouds and very warm today; smoky. Partly cloudy tonight; smoky. Northern California: Sun and clouds today with a thunderstorm in spots; very warm in central parts. Wednesday WSW 7-14 W 8-16 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. Coastal Oregon: Partly sunny today, but increasing clouds across the north. Mostly cloudy tonight. Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and sun today; a thunderstorm in spots in the south and central parts. Western Washington: Mostly sunny today. Rather cloudy tonight. Clouds and sunshine tomorrow. Today WSW 4-8 W 6-12 1 3 5 5 3 1 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 0-2, Low 3-5, Moderate 6-7, High; 8-10, Very High; 11+, Extreme The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num- ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s showers t-storms 0s 10s rain 20s flurries 30s 40s snow ice 50s 60s cold front 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low National Summary: Rain from Irma will stretch from the lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys to the mid-Atlantic today. Showers and storms will dot the West. The balance of the country can expect a dry day. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 107° in Thermal, Calif. Low 32° in Saranac Lake, N.Y. NATIONAL CITIES Today Albuquerque Atlanta Atlantic City Baltimore Billings Birmingham Boise Boston Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit El Paso Fairbanks Fargo Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Hi 89 67 77 75 91 64 90 85 83 76 77 80 85 87 78 94 61 90 88 88 72 87 82 100 65 84 Lo 64 59 64 61 61 56 63 62 67 60 59 63 65 61 61 69 46 61 73 67 60 67 57 78 59 66 W s r pc pc s r pc s pc r pc pc s pc pc s pc s r s r pc s pc r pc Wed. Hi 91 78 77 78 83 70 85 80 85 81 73 80 91 89 76 98 63 89 87 91 68 86 84 96 78 77 Lo 63 62 68 63 52 60 55 66 71 61 57 61 69 58 59 72 46 62 74 70 56 71 62 69 61 62 W pc pc pc pc pc c pc s pc c c pc s pc sh s c pc sh pc r pc pc pc pc pc Today Hi Louisville 73 Memphis 64 Miami 91 Milwaukee 75 Minneapolis 84 Nashville 67 New Orleans 82 New York City 82 Oklahoma City 81 Omaha 87 Philadelphia 81 Phoenix 108 Portland, ME 81 Providence 86 Raleigh 76 Rapid City 91 Reno 87 Sacramento 89 St. Louis 77 Salt Lake City 91 San Diego 79 San Francisco 78 Seattle 74 Tucson 103 Washington, DC 75 Wichita 86 Lo 60 61 77 59 63 58 65 66 59 62 64 84 54 58 63 58 58 62 61 68 69 63 54 75 66 61 W r r s s s r s pc s s pc s s s r s t pc r pc pc pc s s pc s Wed. Hi 66 72 90 73 85 64 84 80 88 90 78 107 79 83 84 92 85 82 72 87 76 74 68 101 81 92 Lo 59 64 78 58 64 59 69 68 62 65 68 82 57 64 66 57 57 59 59 65 66 61 52 74 67 63 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W r r pc pc s r s pc s s pc s s pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc s pc s
