Who paid for this letter?
We've been following with amusement the circus surrounding Cylviagate -- the ongoing investigation into the highly irregular award of state business to Gov. John Kitzhaber's first lady-equivalent. As best we understand it, the current target of an outside investigation commissioned by outgoing Gov. Ted Kulongoski is a guy in the state's shadowy Energy Department named Mark Long. Long is the son of Stanton Long, a Goldschmidt crony who used to run a big law firm down in Eugene that cashed in on many a state contract itself. Now old Dave Frohnmayer is working at that firm, which is representing the younger Long in the investigation.
And boy, are they ever working (or is it milking) the case. Check out this 30-page letter that Frohnmayer and his colleague William Gary wrote to the investigator a few weeks ago. Thirty pages! Can you imagine what that must have cost in attorney's fees? (Although they had a secretary sign it for them -- what a class act.)
The scary thing is, Oregon taxpayers may be paying the bill. Didn't we read somewhere that when state employees get investigated like this, the state has to pay their attorney's fees? That's what's been happening with the expense account follies involving the "Masters of the Universe" investment advisors at the State Treasurer's office. Those scoundrels' lawyers are so spendy that the treasurer, Ted Wheeler, has actually called for the whole inquiry to be stopped because it's bleeding so much money in fees.
It would be really interesting to know what Frohnmayer charges for a letter like that -- and who's writing the check to pay the bill.
| Posted at 10:48 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
I saw Ted Wheeler in the Capitol Cafe when I was in Salem yesterday for the Humane Society of the United States Humane Lobby Day. He looks like a decent sort and seems to be trying to do things right. I just wish he had had the courage to challenge the employee unions and investigate Multnomah County Animal Services like he promised during his campaign for Chair.
Posted by Cynthia | March 8, 2011 11:21 AM
Frohnmayer did his work on this letter while on the UO payroll half-time. Fair enough. But last year, when he started working at Harrang Long, etc. he was on the UO payroll full-time as well, courtesy of a golden parachute contract from OUS Chancellor Pernsteiner. And OUS wrote him a couple of retroactive contracts, to fill his summer pay. The state auditors are looking into that deal now.
That said, the letter sure paints a damming picture of the DOJ investigation. But then Kroger closed it, concluding no evidence of wrongdoing. So what's the beef?
It would be interesting to know who is paying for this. Maybe Frohnmayer and Gary are doing it pro-bono, given the connections. If so, you sort of think they would advertise that fact.
Posted by uomatters | March 8, 2011 11:42 AM
Attorneys....
Will be sleazebags for billable hours. Evidently, public billable hours are juicy.
Justice is only for the rich.
Posted by godfry | March 8, 2011 12:18 PM
The letter was dated February of this year. Is he still on the UO payroll half-time?
Posted by Jack Bog | March 8, 2011 12:22 PM
I don't know Jack.It sounds like good lawyering probably worth the money paid. The letter is a good read with elements of whistle blowing and expose of questionable tactics by DOJ's CJD.
A better question might be how much did this "investigation" by CJD cost taxpayers?
Posted by Larry Norton | March 8, 2011 12:28 PM
Every taxpayer ought to read the first 9 pages of the letter. If that doesn't convince you of the gargantuan amounts of waste in state and federal government, then I don't know what would.
Posted by The Original Bob W | March 8, 2011 12:41 PM
Frohnmayer is still on the UO payroll half-time.
Posted by uomatters | March 8, 2011 12:51 PM
The Washington State Senate on Monday UNANIMOUSLY passed a bill to ban all "retire and rehire" jobs. In Oregon, OSSHE is notorious for "retire and rehire" contracts, frequently called "600 hour contracts", almost always for administrators.
Taxpayers pay 3 times when this happens. First, for the new hire who replaced the "retired" employee. Second for the "part time" salary to the "retired" person. Third for the 100 % PERS pick up paid during the work years of the "retired" person.
I suspect, but have no direct knowledge, that the "retire and rehire" stuff is rampant in the school districts and ESDs.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | March 8, 2011 2:23 PM
Nonny Mouse...retire/rehire is rampant everywhere in state government. Private "consulting" is the name of the game, and sometimes it even comes with benefits too!
Pitchforks?...anyone????
Posted by portland native | March 8, 2011 2:39 PM
Remember, no matter what and appearances be damned, to quote Cylvia: "I did nothing wrong."
Don't confuse legal with moral.
Posted by Steve | March 8, 2011 2:58 PM
Pitchforks?...anyone????
We'll be wanting long-handled ones on account of those new tasers.
Posted by Allan L. | March 8, 2011 3:03 PM
The Oregonian expose on the unethical tactics of the Oregon DOJ -- and the obvious source of the story was Harang/Long/Rudnick -- was worth whatever they're getting paid. It's becoming clear that Kroger's deputies make a practice of crossing over any legal or ethical lines, as evidenced by this case and his disgraced environmental advisor who doctored the water samples. I strongly supported Kroger, but he needs to clean his own house to prove that the corruption isn't starting at the top.
Posted by Miles | March 9, 2011 9:04 AM
Miles -
The "outsid" folks at the marion County DA's office to whom Kroger punted that investigation say that there is no evidence whatee4ver that the enviro lawyer at the DOJ tampered in any way with the samples.
Those same folks do say the samplples were collected in his presence outside the plant in Hood River, were collected at his direction, and that he may have participated in taking the samples.
He'sin trouble for not owning up to his active participation in the sample collection, and for not divulging his participation when first asked. Bad moves on his part, but not any proof of phonying up or tampering with the evidence.
IIRC, the company involved did eventually enter a guilty plea to the charges regarding the wastrwater from the plant, after all the stuff about the DOJ guy came out.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | March 9, 2011 11:34 AM
Nonny -- Yes, you're right, there isn't evidence that he doctored the samples. I was remembering what some accused him of, but there isn't evidence for it.
That said, I'm not sure I would just characterize his actions as "bad moves". Didn't he specifically lie about his involvement in an attempt to cover it up? And now another DOJ top dog lied about the evidence in a criminal case to badger a witness into a confession.
Either Kroger is failing to provide adequate ethical oversight to his upper management, or he's encouraging them in order to score a "big win" that will help his political future. Both are bad.
Posted by Miles | March 9, 2011 3:04 PM