Linn elected official John Lindsey likely violated Oregon ethics law

The Oregon Ethics Commission will explore whether Linn County Commissioner John Lindsey violated state principles laws by attempting to take advantage of his position to stop medical marijuana from being grown in his area south of Lebanon.

A complaint was submitted on July 17 by William Templeton of Albany, on behalf of himself and a number of relative related to the cannabis operation at Butte Creek Estates.

Lindsey said he invites the examination.

” I met with members of the Ethics Commission and brought documentation,” Lindsey said. “We came to an agreement that they require to investigate, and I believe this complaint requires to be investigated. I want an examination of the complaint itself.”

According to a report by the Government Ethics Commission, Mark Owenby and Michelle Page bought the property in December 2016. The couple began establishing a medical marijuana growing operation, consisting of building a big greenhouse.

Templeton charged that in 2017, Lindsey went to the home and presented a service card noting he was a county commissioner. Templeton also asserts that Lindsey informed the property owners “you picked the wrong community,” and ” exactly what you are doing is illegal.”

Templeton asserted that Lindsey went to a number of county departments browsing for possible illegalities at the home.

Templeton likewise said Lindsey made photocopies of the home owners’ Oregon Medical Cannabis Program licenses and cards .

He also declared that Lindsey’s actions were being made in part since he feared the marijuana operation would reduce home worths in the location.

The Ethics Commission noted that public officials are prohibited from ” using or attempting to utilize their official positions to obtain a individual monetary advantage or prevent a personal monetary detriment, that would not have been readily available however for holding the general public position.”

The commission report keeps in mind that additional examination will be needed to ” figure out whether Mr. Lindsey used methods of access to county resources not offered to the public, whether the nature of Mr. Lindsey’s position affected county personnel’s responsiveness, or whether Mr. Lindsey directed county personnel to spend time dealing with the matter.”

The report likewise kept in mind that had Lindsey made statements such as “what you are doing is unlawful,” or “you picked the incorrect community,” while providing himself in an official capacity, he “may have been trying to utilize the impact of his position to stop the medical cannabis grow in his community in order to avoid a personal financial hinderance.”

Further examination is also had to determine whether Lindsey may have had a dispute of interest when he initiated a lawsuit calling the home owners and others.

“There seems substantial objective basis to think that one or more violations of Oregon Government Ethics law might have taken place as a outcome of Mr. Lindsey’s actions in relation to the cannabis being grown on Mr. Owenby and Ms. Page’s property in his neighborhood. The Oregon Federal Government Ethics Commission ought to move to examine whether John Lindsey may have broken ORS 244.040( 1 ), ORS 244.040( 4) and ORS 244.120(2 ( Movement 4),” stated the report authorized by Ronald Bersin, the commission’s executive director.