FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On reconsideration, the City Auditor’s Office issued a determination letter today finding no violation of campaign finance regulations for Rene Gonzalez’s campaign.
The Elections Office, which is in the Auditor’s Office, investigated a complaint about Rene for Portland accepting subsidized rent and parking from Schnitzer Property Management, LLC. The Elections Office previously found six months of subsidized parking qualified as prohibited in-kind contributions and issued a $5,520 fine to the campaign.
After the Auditor’s Office’s determination was issued, Rene for Portland challenged a decision of an independent but related investigation by the Small Donor Elections Program. The Auditor’s Office does not oversee the Small Donor Elections Program. Administrative Law Judge Joe Allen issued a Final Order on that appeal on October 27, 2022. The Final Order included findings that impacted the Auditor’s Office’s original determination.
The Auditor’s Office withdrew its original determination and amended its findings to determine the evidence no longer supported allegations of prohibited contributions. The reconsideration determination letter for Complaint No. 2022-03-RG is posted on the City Elections Office website.
More information about the City’s campaign regulations can be found in City Charter Chapter 3, Article 3 and Portland City Code Title 2, Chapter 2.10.
The City Elections Office can be contacted at elections@portlandoregon.gov or (503) 865-6503.
###