The Republican legislators also want to know who received specialty liquor.
鈥淚n recent months, there have been multiple reports that lawmakers, public officials, and management at the OLCC had benefited from the diversion of bottles of high-end, rare liquor,鈥� reads the letter lawmakers sent to the governor. 鈥淢ost recently, in mid-March, three top OLCC officials were fired for their involvement, leaving us with more questions than answers.鈥�
Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, asked his colleagues to imagine if the state 鈥� the governor and legislators 鈥� were controlled by Republicans.
鈥淲ould you be comfortable with those Republicans essentially investigating themselves?鈥� Knopp said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe the public is going to believe an investigation that is not independent.鈥�
After speaking on the Senate floor, Knopp told OPB that Republicans have been told there鈥檚 a list somewhere of the public officials who received rare liquors as preferential treatment. He said he believes the OLCC generated that document.
Steve Marks, who was the OLCC director at the time of the scandal,. Craig Prins, inspector general for the Oregon Corrections Department, is .
According to an internal agency investigation last year, Marks and five top OLCC managers used their positions to reserve bottles of hard-to-find bourbons, which they purchased for themselves or saved for others, . The Oregon Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the matter.
The OLCC distributes all liquor sold within the state, and it brings in a lot of money doing so. The agency is Oregon鈥檚 third-largest source of revenue, after income taxes and the lottery.
鈥淚t is with an unwavering commitment to full transparency that we request these investigations be conducted by independent outside counsel,鈥� the letter from Republicans to the governor reads.
The OLCC has been working to build a new warehouse and headquarters. The scandal has also from some Republicans to take a closer look at that project.
Dirk VanderHart contributed to this report.
This story may be updated.
Copyright 2023
