Accountability > Ethics Investigations

In October 2025, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) opened a formal investigation into the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners— including Board Chair Claire Hall—over whether they violated Oregon’s Public Meetings Law while deciding which positions to exempt from a countywide hiring freeze. The case grew out of Commissioner Casey Miller’s July complaint that key hiring decisions were being made through private, electronic voting rather than in properly noticed public meetings. In a September 19 preliminary review, OGEC staff found a “substantial objective basis” to believe the three commissioners had, at minimum, conducted decision-making outside public view, potentially failing to provide public notice, take public votes, or keep minutes as the law requires. The Commission’s unanimous vote to proceed to a full investigation starts a 180-day fact-finding process; it has not yet determined whether any violations occurred or what penalties, if any, might follow.

Last updated 1/4/26 9:18pm