The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is supposed to be the watchdog for how public officials behave.
They slapped big fines on former Gov. John Kitzhaber and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, for breaching rules separating public service and private business. Ethics commissioners also review many lower-profile complaints involving teachers and bureaucrats — all with an eye toward protecting taxpayer resources.
But in the wake of one recent case, ethics commissioners debated withholding and even destroying public records.
The case involves high school sports, a Beaverton mom who commissioners dismissively called a “volleyball watchdog,” and the rules governing public officials and their private businesses. Read more…