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Critics of big money in politics charge that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is failing to follow a new law requiring that big donors be listed in advertising for city races.

Mayor Ted Wheeler's reelection campaign has shirked some of Portland's campaign regulations, according to a letter sent by the city's elections office Tuesday afternoon. "After an investigation," writes City Elections Officer Debroah Scroggin, "I have identified three violations of city campaign regulations. I am issuing this letter of warning and education." Wheeler's campaign is accused of failing to disclose its top donors on his campaign website, on its Facebook page, and on its Twitter page....

Though Portland's auditor said the city is not yet ready to enforce the Oregon Supreme Court's ruling in favor of strict campaign finance limits, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced late Friday his campaign will begin abiding by a $500 cap on future donations. 

Portland city election officials say they’ll begin enforcing the voter-approved $500-per-donor limit after the Oregon Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned a Multnomah County Circuit judge’s decision declaring campaign contribution limits in city elections unconstitutional.

The campaign donations the lawsuit challenges were above a $500-per-donor limit approved by Portland voters in 2018. Similar rules were approved by Multnomah County voters two years earlier.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler can keep spending from his war chest of large campaign contributions collected before the Oregon Supreme Court overturned decades of precedent and made campaign donation limits legal in Oregon, a judge ruled Friday.

Wheeler’s campaign manager calls critics’ scrutiny of his activity “borderline harassment.”

Amy Rathfelder as of last week was no longer part of Wheeler’s campaign, which has since hired Danny O’Halloran to replace her as campaign director.

The auditor’s office informed the alliance Monday that officials had discovered a spate of violations after launching a review of possible undisclosed lobbying efforts by the group.

Hall Monitor is a regular column on issues related to Portland City Hall and its influence on the community it serves. There are no fewer than five city bureaus in Portland that are responsible for trash cleanup in public spaces. Depending on the location, need, and availability, one of them might be able to address the growing dump site that’s popped up down the street from your house. If that fails, maybe you can just...

Please visit mcelections.org for detailed information on campaign finance provisions.

Voters will cast their ballots by May 16 for the seat that covers most of Southeast Portland.

Ki Hong and Sam Rothbloom of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP discuss bans adopted by states and localities to prohibit U.S. companies from making political contributions where they have foreign owners, noting that some bans go beyond the federal ban and raise First Amendment and preemption concerns.

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.

“I just want to hear if we think we have enough money to cover what’s coming up.”

Guest writer Sal Peralta harbors an enduring interest in public policy, reflected in a long record of public involvement. He helped found the Independent Party of Oregon ...

Republican and Democratic leaders in Salem have reached an agreement to end the legislative walkout that's stretched on for nearly a month and a half. Senate Republicans led the walkout in early May to protest legislation involving abortion access.

A deal between legislative Republicans and Democrats will affect abortion access and gender-affirming care, gun rights and more.

Biden allies seek to undermine an effort they see as a threat to the president’s reelection.

The Washington, D.C.-based fundraiser who secured a $500,000 donation last year for Oregon Democrats from an FTX executive has a long history of working for U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's campaign.