Politics
Oregon Ethics Commission Set to Approve Settlement Finding Rep. Lamar Wise Violated Disclosure Law
A stipulated agreement before the Oregon Government Ethics Commission finds that state Rep. Lamar Wise failed to disclose a $25,000 payment from Portland nonprofit Seeding Justice on his statement of economic interest. If approved Friday, Wise will receive a letter of education and a second alleged violation will be dropped.
State Rep. Lamar Wise (D-Southeast Portland) violated Oregon ethics law by failing to properly disclose a $25,000 payment from the Portland nonprofit Seeding Justice on his statement of economic interest, according to a stipulated final agreement scheduled to go before the Oregon Government Ethics Commission at its regular meeting Friday.
The agreement, signed by Wise, states that the commission's investigation, if presented through exhibits and testimony at a contested case hearing, would establish a preponderance of evidence supporting a finding of one violation of Oregon law. If the nine-member commission approves the settlement, Wise will receive a letter of education to close the case, and a second possible violation will be dropped.
The commission voted at its Oct. 9 meeting to formally investigate two possible ethics violations by Wise. At the time, he characterized the matter as an honest mistake that he had swiftly corrected.
Wise, 35, represents House District 48, which includes Southeast Portland, Boring, Damascus and Pleasant Valley. In the recent election, he defeated Republican tech worker Andrew Morrison of Damascus by a 17-point margin. Wise did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Under state law, legislators must file annual statements of economic interest disclosing all sources of income exceeding $1,000 in the preceding calendar year. The forms are intended to promote transparency among public officials and identify potential conflicts of interest.
In January 2025, Wiseâan organizer with Oregon AFSCME since 2019 and a familiar figure in Oregon labor circlesâreceived a $25,000 stipend from Seeding Justice, a Portland-based funder of social change programs. In November of that year, he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the death of Democratic Rep. Hoa Nguyen. But when Wise completed his 2026 statement of economic interest, he did not identify the payment from Seeding Justice.
In a separate section of the form, Wise also failed to list the names of active lobbyists with his employer, Oregon AFSCME, as required by state ethics law. That omission formed the basis of the second alleged violation investigated by the commission.
Wise has said that once he was notified of the errors, he worked with the commission to correct them. He submitted an amendment to his 2026 statement identifying Seeding Justice as a source of income and naming the lobbyists associated with Oregon AFSCME.
The case highlights the importance of financial disclosure requirements in maintaining public trust, particularly as voters demand greater accountability from elected officials. The commission's decision Friday will determine whether the matter is closed with an educational letter or proceeds further.