Oregon
Longtime Oregon lawmaker repeatedly broke ethics laws to secure hefty raise, commission finds
Longtime Republican lawmaker Greg Smith broke Oregon ethics laws when he used his office to try to secure a $109,000 raise for his work as executive director of an eastern Oregon economic development agency, then maneuvered to get a $66,000 pay hike and make it retroactive, the Oregon ethics commission concluded Friday.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners endorsed an investigator’s finding that Smith, the longtime executive director of the federally funded Columbia Development Authority, repeatedly failed to declare a conflict of interest and used the power of his office for personal financial gain.
Smith got his salary raised from $129,000 to $195,000 without his bosses’ authorization and directed the employee in charge of his agency’s finances that the pay hike be made retroactive to April 2024, the investigator found. When the development authority board learned of Smith’s misrepresentations, it voted in September of that year to rescind the raise, records show. But he has not repaid it, ethics commission investigator Casey Fenstermacher wrote in her report dated Thursday.
Smith now has the option to request a hearing on his case before an administrative law judge or to work with the ethics agency to reach a settlement, including any fine or other punishment. He did not take part in Friday’s hearing nor did he respond to a request for comment left with his legislative chief of staff Friday afternoon.
Staffers at the Oregon Government Ethics Commission will formally propose a settlement with Smith, including financial penalties, by early January, commission director Susan Myers told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. The maximum fine her agency can propose is $10,000, she said, but the nine-member state ethics commission could vote to authorize a higher penalty.
The ethics commission did just that in 2018 when it rejected an agency proposal to fine former Gov. John Kitzhaber $1,000 for ethics violations that allowed his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, to secure lucrative consulting contracts during her time as first lady. Commissioners instead proposed a $50,000 fine and ultimately struck a deal with the four-term governor to pay $25,000.
Smith, who holds a key role on the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee, was elected in 2024 to a 13th term in the House, making him its longest serving member.
The ethics commission dinged him earlier this year for failing to disclose a key client of his consulting business on his required annual financial disclosure form. That client, Harney County, had paid him $7,000 a month to represent its interests at the Legislature.
In that case, Smith acknowledged the omission in his filing and later amended it. The commission closed that case, as it has other cases or incomplete financial filings, by issuing Smith a formal letter of education, Myers said.
According to the Salem Reporter, Smith is also under investigation in two other state ethics proceedings. Investigators are examining whether Smith broke the law when he claimed pay for working for the development authority at the same time he was performing private consulting work or working as a state legislator, the Salem newsroom reported.
The Columbia Development Authority, based in Boardman, is made up of several eastern Oregon governmental entities including the Port of Morrow and is in charge of redeveloping a former military base.
Once the ethics commission formally notifies Smith of its proposed settlement and his right to request a hearing, he will have 21 days to decide which option to pursue, Myers said. Nearly 99% of officials presented with that option choose to pursue a settlement, she said.
The commission normally takes into account both aggravating factors, such as the size of the financial windfall and whether the official repeatedly broke the law, and mitigating factors, such as whether an official acted on the advice of a government lawyer or quickly paid restitution, Myers said.
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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