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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penalty triples for former head of Oregon's Liquor and Cannabis Commission over bourbon scandal
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission oversees the state's liquor stores. (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission/Flickr) The former head of Oregon's Liquor and Cannabis Commission will pay a $1,500 fine for using his state position to divert and obtain rare bourbon for himself. In a 7-1 vote Friday, eight of the nine present members of Oregon's Government Ethics Commission approved the penalty for Steve Marks, former state liquor and cannabis director, after rejecting a much smaller $500 fine proposed in May. Marks, who resigned from his position in February of 2023 after 10 years leading the agency, was one of six high-level liquor and cannabis employees implicated in a long-running scheme to divert rare bottles of liquor to stores where the employees could obtain them. All have either resigned or been fired. The others are also facing ethics penalties. Commissioner Iván Resendiz Gutierrez, the only member to vote against the $1,500 penalty, said he wanted Marks to pay either $5,000 — the maximum civil penalty — or no less than $3,600. 'I think the penalty should be significantly higher, and the reason for that is that he was an agency director,' Resendiz Gutierrez said. Commissioner Jonathan Thompson countered that, 'There's no fine that we can impose greater than what they went through in the press and losing their jobs.' Robert Steringer, Marks' lawyer, said his client is prepared to accept the fine. The Oregonian first reported on the years of diversions of rare liquors by Marks and employees on Feb. 8, 2023, following a records request that included an interagency personnel investigation. An investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice that wrapped up in 2024, however, brought little to support a potential criminal case and agency lawyers opted not to pursue charges. In their investigation, they detailed challenges in tracing and proving who bought which bottles where, because of a convoluted distribution system for inventory and point-of-sale record keeping. The Oregon Ethics Commission based their own investigation and fine on the evidence it had from an interview with Marks where he admitted to diverting and purchasing a single $329.99-bottle of rare Pappy Van Winkle 23 bourbon. Susan Myers, executive director of the Government Ethics Commission, said the $1,500 fine is an 'appropriate resolution.' 'It's five times the amount he paid for the bottle, three times more than what the prior settlements of others involved were,' she said. 'It is an appropriate resolution given its one bottle, and recognizing that he was the director and, as you say, is held to a higher standard.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics commission considers higher fine for former OLCC leader involved in bourbon scandal
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Government watchdogs are debating the appropriate penalty for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission's previous leader's role in a rare alcohol 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.
