Commissioner: Officials ignored subpoenas over misconduct

Accused fellow Democrats of covering up a culture of sexual harassment at the Capitol in Oregon.

  • By Wire Service
  • Thursday, October 18, 2018 7:59pm
  • Northwest

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon’s State Labor Commissioner has accused legislators of ignoring subpoenas issued by his agency in its investigation of sexual harassment at the Capitol.

The Wednesday court filings seek contempt of court rulings and $1,000 a day in fines against Senate President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek, Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters and nine others who Brad Avakian accuses of disregarding subpoenas, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .

The subpoenas were necessary because Avakian has reason to believe they would protect key documents from “imminent destruction,” according to the filing.

In August, Avakian filed a complaint with his own Bureau of Labor and Industries, accusing fellow Democrats of covering up a culture of sexual harassment at the Capitol. Avakian charged that Kotek, Courtney and officials including Legislature attorney Dexter Johnson and human resources director Lore Christopher failed to stop sexual harassment by then-Sen. Jeff Kruse despite longstanding complaints against him.

Republican Sen. Jeff Kruse was found to have sexually harassed or groped a number of women at the Capitol following a legislative investigation. He resigned in March.

Through a private attorney, Edward Harnden, legislative officials subpoenaed by the bureau all declined to turn over requested records and sit for interviews.

They argued its demand for information was overly broad, and said compliance would require them to break pledges of confidentiality made to people who reported harassment. Lawmakers additionally have argued they are exempt from labor laws that govern other employers and are not susceptible to the labor commissioner’s investigatory powers.

Avakian has responded that the legislators “are not above the law and their conduct is not beyond all scrutiny.”

Representatives for Courtney, Kotek and Winters directed questions to Harnden Thursday, who said he’s confident a judge will find no wrongdoing by members of the Legislature.

Avakian is overstepping his authority “and he knows it,” Harnden told the newspaper.

Judge Stephen Bushong of Multnomah County set a Nov. 19 hearing to consider Avakian’s arguments.

Avakian was not immediately available for comment Thursday, according to his spokeswoman.

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