Ethics commission considers higher fine for former OLCC leader involved in bourbon scandal
With a 7-1 vote on Friday, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission rejected the $500 penalty proposed for former OLCC Executive Director Steve Marks.
Portland Trail Blazers franchise being sold, Paul Allen estate announces
In 2023, an that Marks and five other agency leaders diverted bottles of exclusive bourbon — like the highly-sought after Pappy Van Winkle 23. While records show the leaders paid for the liquor, OGEC Executive Director Susan Myer noted that the act violates Oregon laws prohibiting public officials from using confidential information for personal gain and requiring them to report potential conflicts of interest.
According to the , Marks purchased one bottle for its listed price of $329.99. Myer noted that the proposed $500 fine stems from the ethics commission's penalty matrix, which suggests a fine between 1% and 20% of the maximum penalty for such a violation.
OGEC's executive director noted that she also considered the similar fines imposed for other agency officials. But other members argued that the penalty should be increased for higher-ranking leaders.
Adam Sandler gives shoutout to Portland park celebration he inspired
'I think another issue is if you're a top official, you should probably pay a top penalty…' Commissioner Daniel Mason said. 'When you refer to the public interest, if it's known that the head of an agency is getting a financial benefit that potential is greater than the value, then I think it hurts the ethics commission by going with a stipulated agreement that is less.'
The agency's records show Pappy Van Winkle bottles cost up to $6,500 on online marketplaces from other states, although Marks paid OLCC's listed price which was just a fraction of that.
His attorney, Bob Steringer, asked commissioners to consider the same fine that was enforced for other public officials. He also noted that diversion of rare liquor began before Marks' tenure, and claimed the executive director was the first to change that practice when he realized it could spur ethics concerns.
Kotek signs bill for anonymous Oregon lottery winners, bans discounting
'Our mission is primarily to educate, not to punish,' Commissioner Richard Burke later added. 'There needs to be a penalty in a case like this. I think the $500 penalty is reasonable. I also think that part of the penalty is the fact that Mr. Marks — you know he's had his name in the press regarding this and it's a political embarrassment. I think he's been duly educated..'
OGEC will continue to negotiate the fine.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Yahoo
Fired Lane County administrator's ethics case closed after 12 years
Oregon's ethics board chose to drop the 12-year-old case against former Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson, who was fired in 2013 as part of a scandal over her pay, at its Aug. 8 meeting. In her recommendation to dismiss, Susan Meyers, executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, said Richardson's case was "very old" and predated all members of the current OGEC board. "I don't have a good explanation" for why the investigation had taken so long, Meyers said, but given its age "it would be very difficult to proceed with any completion of the investigation or contest case simply because of the time that has passed and accessibility to any witnesses," leading her to recommend the board close the case. The board agreed with Meyers in a 7-0-1 vote, with OGEC Commissioner Iván Resendiz Gutierrez abstaining due to his affiliation with Lane County. In 2013, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission began investigating Richardson, who Lane County Commissioners fired that August and the parties agree not to sue. Richardson was promoted on an interim basis in 2010 and hired permanently in 2011. Commissioners said Richardson cashed out PTO and deferred payment in violation of county policy. This occurred while Richardson oversaw the county as it faced a $13.5 million budget shortfall which led to the county laying off employees, proposing forced furloughs and Richardson publicly declining a controversial pay raise. The initial version of the report that led to her firing was highly redacted, and the full version, released later, was unclear on whether Richardson acted entirely on her own or with the tacit approval of county commissioners. Subsequent investigation also found she had pressured the Human Resources director to recommend that raise, and appointed a city of Eugene police officer, with whom her husband alleged she was having an affair, to an internal county committee that recommended approval of her deferred pay cashout, and had scheduled him to attend an out-of-state conference with her and other county employees. In the fall out, Marion County's District Attorney declined to press charges, but the state bar association rejected Richardson's application over her conduct as Lane County administrator. Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached by email at atorres@ on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Ethics case of Liane Richardson dismissed by board Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
Data stolen from 6.5 million Co-op members in ‘devastating' cyber attack
All 6.5 million members of the Co-op had their data stolen in the cyber attack against the UK retailer earlier this year, the retailer has revealed. The chief executive of the retail and funeral care group Shirine Khoury-Haq said she was 'devastated' by the impact of the attack on workers and members. In late April, the company shut off parts of its IT systems after the attack, in which hackers accessed and extracted members' personal data. Shoppers were faced with empty shelves and issues with payments shortly afterwards caused by the fallout of the incident. It was among a string of high-profile cyber attacks on retailers, with rival Marks & Spencer hit particularly heavily by a cyber incident around Easter, which it said would result in a roughly £300 million hit to its finances. On Tuesday, the Co-op boss confirmed to BBC Breakfast that 'names, addresses and contact information' for all of its members were accessed. Ms Khoury-Haq told the programme: 'We know that a lot of that information is out there anyway but people will be worried and all members should be concerned. 'As soon as we knew what had been taken, we informed our members. We also advised them on what they needed to do to protect their information as well. 'But I am devastated by that, I am devastated that the information was taken.' She said the hackers created a copy of one of the firm's files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install planned ransomware. 'We realised it was happening when the cyber criminals started moving around within our systems and that is when we took action to stop them,' the boss said. 'Unfortunately by the time we had done that, they had made a copy of one of our files, but we did block them from doing anything else. 'It meant shutting down our systems quite dramatically. 'The good news was that we managed to keep our front lines open – our stores and funeral homes stayed open but the impact on colleagues, the impact on our stores, our members, was significant.' Last week, the National Crime Agency said four young people were arrested for their suspected involvement in the cyber attacks against the Co-op, M&S and Harrods. The comments came as the Co-op announced a partnership with a social impact business in the wake of the attack. The link-up with The Hacking Games is aimed at preventing cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent and channelling their skills into positive, ethical careers. The Co-op said cyber threats were evolving at an 'alarming' rate, highlighting the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals. The retail giant said it wants to help prevent cyber crime before it starts by supporting young people to put their skills to good use. Ms Khoury-Haq added: 'We know first-hand what it feels like to be targeted by cybercrime. The disruption it causes, the pressure it puts on colleagues, and the impact it has on the people and communities we serve. 'Our partnership with The Hacking Games lets us reach talented young people early, guide their skills toward protection rather than harm, and open real paths into ethical work. When we expand opportunity we reduce risk, while having a positive impact on society.' Fergus Hay, co-founder of The Hacking Games, said: 'There is an incredible amount of cyber talent out there – but many young people don't see a path into the industry, or simply don't realise their skills can be used for good. 'This partnership with Co-op will help unlock that potential. It's about giving people the opportunity to do something positive, showing that their talents are valued and creating a generation of ethical hackers to make the world safer.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
Data stolen from 6.5 million Co-op members in ‘devastating' cyber attack
All 6.5 million members of the Co-op had their data stolen in the cyber attack against the UK retailer earlier this year, the retailer has revealed. The chief executive of the retail and funeral care group Shirine Khoury-Haq said she was 'devastated' by the impact of the attack on workers and members. In late April, the company shut off parts of its IT systems after the attack, in which hackers accessed and extracted members' personal data. Shoppers were faced with empty shelves and issues with payments shortly afterwards caused by the fallout of the incident. It was among a string of high-profile cyber attacks on retailers, with rival Marks & Spencer hit particularly heavily by a cyber incident around Easter, which it said would result in a roughly £300 million hit to its finances. On Tuesday, the Co-op boss confirmed to BBC Breakfast that 'names, addresses and contact information' for all of its members were accessed. Ms Khoury-Haq told the programme: 'We know that a lot of that information is out there anyway but people will be worried and all members should be concerned. 'As soon as we knew what had been taken, we informed our members. We also advised them on what they needed to do to protect their information as well. 'But I am devastated by that, I am devastated that the information was taken.' She said the hackers created a copy of one of the firm's files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install planned ransomware. 'We realised it was happening when the cyber criminals started moving around within our systems and that is when we took action to stop them,' the boss said. 'Unfortunately by the time we had done that, they had made a copy of one of our files, but we did block them from doing anything else. 'It meant shutting down our systems quite dramatically. 'The good news was that we managed to keep our front lines open – our stores and funeral homes stayed open but the impact on colleagues, the impact on our stores, our members, was significant.' Last week, the National Crime Agency said four young people were arrested for their suspected involvement in the cyber attacks against the Co-op, M&S and Harrods. The comments came as the Co-op announced a partnership with a social impact business in the wake of the attack. The link-up with The Hacking Games is aimed at preventing cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent and channelling their skills into positive, ethical careers. The Co-op said cyber threats were evolving at an 'alarming' rate, highlighting the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals. The retail giant said it wants to help prevent cyber crime before it starts by supporting young people to put their skills to good use. Ms Khoury-Haq added: 'We know first-hand what it feels like to be targeted by cybercrime. The disruption it causes, the pressure it puts on colleagues, and the impact it has on the people and communities we serve. 'Our partnership with The Hacking Games lets us reach talented young people early, guide their skills toward protection rather than harm, and open real paths into ethical work. When we expand opportunity we reduce risk, while having a positive impact on society.' Fergus Hay, co-founder of The Hacking Games, said: 'There is an incredible amount of cyber talent out there – but many young people don't see a path into the industry, or simply don't realise their skills can be used for good. 'This partnership with Co-op will help unlock that potential. It's about giving people the opportunity to do something positive, showing that their talents are valued and creating a generation of ethical hackers to make the world safer.'
