Officials with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission hoarded high-end alcohol for their personal use for years.
The investigation released Wednesday found that employees of the Commission and even the Commission’s former director allegedly obtained high-end bottles of liquor for themselves for at least eight years, according to The Oregonian.
The investigation began when a Commission employee sent an email about the practice, The Oregonian reported. The state warehouse supervisor allegedly pulled high-end bottles of alcohol and sent them to a specific store so employees could purchase them.
Under Oregon’s regulatory program for alcohol, some rare types of liquor are offered to stores and the public through a lottery. It’s believed that some of the valuable bottles of liquor instead went to OLCC managers and executives and their close friends. https://t.co/67vQ3exA3B
— OPB (@OPB) February 8, 2023
Bottles such as Pappy Van Winkle and Elmer T. Lee were popular among employees, reported The Oregonian.
“This behavior is wholly unacceptable,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a letter to Commission employees, the outlet reported. “I will not tolerate wrongful violations of our government ethics laws.”
Former Commission Director Steve Marks reportedly admitted to asking the warehouse manager to pull bottles of high-end liquor for him, The Oregonian reported. (RELATED: Dem Side Of The House Called To Order As Rep. Cammack Rebukes ‘Popcorn, and Blankets, And Alcohol’)
Marks was asked to resign by Kotek on Feb. 1, according to Willamette Week. Kotek did not find out about the scheme until after Marks’ resignation.
“After requesting the head of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s resignation, my administration became aware that leaders within this agency, including the director himself, abused their position for personal gain per their own admission in an internal investigation,” Kotek said in a letter, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “This behavior is wholly unacceptable. I will not tolerate wrongful violations of our government ethics laws.”
Kotek has asked the Commission to replace all employees who have been accused of hoarding high-end liquor, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. She also asked Oregon’s Attorney General’s office to investigate.
The Commission “purchases, warehouses and distributes” liquor across Oregon, according to the agency’s website.