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Posts published in “Day: June 3, 2007”

The Betsy Johnson story

Betsy Johnson

Betsy Johnson at St. Helens

Oregon State Senator Betsy Johnson, Democrat of Scappoose, has had a lousy week, starting with articles in the Oregonian and Willamette Week suggesting she was involved in corrupt activity, and going on from there. NW Republican put her picture under the headline "Salem's culture of corruption," but Democrats chimed in, at Loaded Orygun ("Betsy Johnson F's Up") and at Blue Oregon ("Betsy Johnson's self-dealing legislation").

The core of the Oregonian piece ("Sen. Johnson makes a fast $119,000") - what it suggested, at least - is that Johnson and her husband bought a piece of land near the airport at Scappoose northwest of Portland, and three months after flipped it to a developer for a profit of $119,000 (their sale price minus their purchase price). She then proposed legislation which, the article suggested, would benefit the business operation of the new owner. In all, it sounds like using public office to make private money.

And something else - she failed to report the $119,000, as she was clearly required to tell the Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission. She made that filing only after the Oregonian brought it to her attention, and on that she admits "I am culpable". (The deal closed early in 2005, so it should have shown up on forms in 2006.)

But of what else is she guilty - of self-dealing or worse?

There, after watching Johnson interact Sunday with a crowd at St. Helens, we're more hesitant to convict. Not that what follows is intended to be entirely exculpatory, but it's enough to give us pause before settling on a conclusion.

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