Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill has signed a letter asking the state to review and possibly investigate allegations of misconduct by Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton.
The letter, which is dated Friday, is signed by both Underhill and County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury as a follow-up to a phone conversations Kafoury and Underhill had with Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum earlier this week. The letter states that Underhill and Kafoury are asking Rosenblum's office to delve into a list of allegations, including that:
- Staton created a sexually charged hostile work environment, as alleged in an intent-to-sue letter sent to the county earlier this week. In the letter, Chief Deputy Linda Yankee claims that the sheriff made inappropriate comments in front of her about judges, county commissioners and county employees -- referring to one person as a "blonde bimbo," mocking a facial mole on another and ridiculing the weight of several others. Underhill is one of the people Yankee claims the sheriff made sexually charged comments about.
- Staton allegedly ordered background profiles done on members of a charter review committee because he was irked at the possibility that they might recommend his position be appointed rather than elected. The background checks could be considered a violation of Oregon law.
- Staton allegedly made "violent threats" about others. Union president, Jason Heilbrun of AFSCME Local 88, wrote in his notes from a Jan. 11 meeting with Staton that Staton reportedly said if other sheriffs learned of the charter change they would "cap somebody."
On Wednesday, Staton issued a news release stating, in part: "I welcome the opportunity for an outside inquiry. ... I have placed a call to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum's office to concur with Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and recommend they conduct a review to resolve this matter once and for all."
As for whether Staton violated law by searches into the backgrounds of charter review committee members, Staton wrote that he ordered an internal audit -- and the results "confirmed there were no inappropriate searches conducted by any (sheriff's office) staff."
Read a copy here of Underhill and Kafoury's letter to Rosenblum.
-- Aimee Green
503-294-5119