Campaign Finance Reform - in Oregon

Campaign finance databases reveal much about cultural values, political influence and interesting trends. We found that, and more, in a recent News-Register investigation ...

A former executive at the disgraced cryptocurrency exchange FTX donated $500,000 to the state’s Democratic Party under a false name. Here are the events that led up to the misreported donation and Oregon’s response.

See a timeline of the events that led to the misreported donation coming to light and the ensuing response from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Documents first reported here confirm the need for an investigation into whether DPO committed a crime when it misreported the source of a $500,000 donation it used to help elect Kotek governor

Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden's paid fundraising consultant -- "all things Ron Wyden" -- arranged the details of a record-breaking donation under scrutiny by the Oregon Department of Justice.

The Oregon Senator has refused to return a personal contribution from Sam Bankman-Fried, breaking from other Democrats and Republicans who returned his donations.

Nossaman’s Chris Hughes and Bill Powers analyze the next clawback targets of FTX bankruptcy proceedings: campaign vendors and political action committees—saying they must comply with Federal Election Commission rules.

Rosenblum recused herself from the investigation into disgraced cryptocurrency executive Nishad Singh, whose $500,000 donation to the Democratic Party of Oregon was falsely reported as coming from a Las Vegas company. Rosenblum should have ensured independence long ago, considering the cozy relationship she and former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan have had with the Democratic Party.

A spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Justice said on Friday that the agency is reviewing whether to open a criminal investigation of the Democratic Party of Oregon for misreporting the donor of $500,000 last fall.

A Bend lawyer has asked Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to open a criminal investigation into whether the Democratic Party of Oregon knowingly reported false information about who gave a $500,000 campaign contribution.

The assistant attorney general representing the Elections Division wrote that a Democratic party official “should not have been — and any other reasonable person would not have been — satisfied when (donor Nishad Singh told the party) that Mr. Singh ‘prefers Prime Trust (though not strongly) so go w[ith] that.’”

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Udland will oversee the department’s investigation into Nishad Singh, the former director of engineering at the disgraced cryptocurrency firm FTX.

A recent settlement that substantially slashed a fine for the Democratic Party of Oregon for misreporting a $500,000 donation raises significant questions about the ability of Democrats to hold their own party accountable, the editorial board writes.

Election officials will fine the Oregon Democratic Party $15,000 and ask the attorney general to investigate a cryptocurrency executive.

Election officials opened the investigation into Nishad Singh and the Democratic Party last October after the party identified the donor of its largest ever campaign contribution as cryptocurrency wire service Prime Trust.

Kotek has faced pressure to appoint a "caretaker" secretary to replace Shemia Fagan. Some Democratic allies oppose that idea.

A $500,000 contribution made to the party in October by FTX exec Nishad Singh was falsely filed under the name of a different company.

Our Oregon alleges that a committee to pay costs for Republican state senators participating in a walkout broke state campaign finance rules.

Two state senators want Oregon U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight’s office to investigate cash donations from cannabis company to state politicians.

Fagan resigned May 8 amid a controversy over a $10,000 a month side gig she took consulting with a cannabis company.

Oregon elections officials found that Democratic Party of Oregon staff hid that a former FTX executive donated $500,000 to the party in 2022.

My enduring image of Shemia Fagan is as state senator, with her fist held high, signaling her alignment with progressives holding a rally on the Oregon Capitol steps.

Oregon lawmakers are mulling whether to boost pay for statewide officeholders and pass ethics reforms following the resignation of former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who stepped down after news that she had taken a $10,000 a month side job with a troubled cannabis company.

Portland needs to make both short-term and long-term changes to the Small Donor Elections Program to ensure it remains free of political interference, write Amy Sample Ward, Berk Nelson and Cristina Nieves, who serve on the Portland Elections Commission.

Oregon lawmakers are mulling whether to boost pay for statewide officeholders and pass ethics reforms following the resignation of former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who stepped down after news that she had taken a $10,000 a month side job with a troubled cannabis company.

Oregon Democrats promised to reform the state’s campaign finance laws. But their fix tilts the playing field in their favor, says a Democratic lawmaker.

Shemia Fagan leaves office Monday, six days after she announced her resignation following news of a side job with a troubled cannabis dispensary.

“I have been inactive for the past two years but need to become active again,” Fagan wrote from her personal email address on Friday, Feb. 3, at 2:31 p.m.