Clatsop County DA Slams Blumenauer over Pot Campaign Controversy
Saturday, September 06, 2014
“I think this is an act of political thuggery. I am shocked by the recklessness of this statement,” Marquis told GoLocalPDX, citing the congressman’s letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other federal agencies.
In the letter sent Friday, Blumenauer states that he believes a nonprofit group has been coordinating anti-drug outreach, events and advertising to coincide with the run up to the November election, in which Oregon voters will decide whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana, ballot measure 91.
The complaint falls short of naming Best Medical Treatment Services of Central Oregon, a nonprofit that receives federal funding, as the organization that colluded with the No on 91 campaign.
“We’re asking whether federal money was used inappropriately,” said Willie Smith, district director for Blumenauer’s office.
In the letter, Blumenauer states a staff member of a “nonprofit,” supposedly Best Care, was also the director of the No on 91 Political Action Committee.
Marquis, an opponent of marijuana legalization, said the letter could only be referring to Mandi Puckett, whom he said took an unpaid leave of absence from Best Medical Treatment to go to work for the No on 91 campaign.
DA Claims Accusations Are False
Marquis, who is named in the letter, said Blumenauer's accusations are false.
“[What] I find deeply, deeply offensive is that Congressman Blumenauer flat out alleges violations of state and federal law,” Marquis said. “I’m really disappointed that someone like a congressman would be so reckless with the truth.“
The letter also references a controversial drug education tour around the state. Blumenauer and the Oregon Health Authority have questioned whether the tour violated campaign finance laws by using federal money.
The OHA sent an email to event organizers on Aug. 28 stating “the State of Oregon and sub-recipients are prohibited from using federal funds for political or lobbying purposes.”
Marquis said many events on the tour have been called off, including the one scheduled for his county, and that Blumenauer and OHA are engaged in an intimidation campaign.
The DA was scheduled to participate in the event, according to Blumenauer's statement. Marquis said that even as a government employee, he was well within his rights to do so. OHA and Blumenauer's efforts were trying to shut down the events and suppress free speech, he said.
Blumenauer aide Smith disagreed.
“People can say what they want,” Smith said. “They just can’t do it with federal money.”
Smith said his office wanted to know if the groups involved fit a pattern established by the nonprofit in 2012 in the run up to the first public vote on recreation marijuana legalization.
“(This nonprofit) did the same thing in 2012 two days before the ballots went out,” Smith said. “We want the investigation to go back to 2012.”
Blumenauer and Marquis will have ample opportunity to discuss the issues and accusations this Friday, when the two debate marijuana legalization at the Salem City Club in Salem, Ore.
[Correction: An earlier version of this post stated that Marquis and Blumenauer would debate the issues of legalization of marijuana at the City Club of Portland.]
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