A leading Republican state legislator in Oregon illegally manipulated his job at a small public entity to arrange a significant pay raise and then improperly kept excess pay, a state agency has concluded.

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted 7-0 Friday that there was “substantial evidence” Greg Smith broke state law against using his public office for personal gain and failed to disclose he had a conflict as he directed his tiny agency to advance his salary request.

Smith did not appear at Friday’s meeting. He now faces a final order or an opportunity to challenge the commission’s findings.

The public corruption case related to Smith’s role as executive director of the Columbia Development Authority of Boardman. The public agency is overseeing the conversion of a former militar

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