22 Years of Claire Hall: Time for Change?
The following facts—all from just the past year—show why many residents have lost confidence in Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall’s leadership. All facts are footnoted.
Immediate Public Harm
1. Hall is blocking already-approved funding for the District Attorney’s office, leaving it 36% understaffed. Of 32 budgeted positions, only 21 are filled due to her hiring freeze, with another essential staffer out on forced leave against the DA’s advice—risking dropped cases and early inmate releases.1, 1a During this time, criminal cases have increased 24% since 2024 and does not include a 360+ case backlog awaiting review. Weapon offenses have increased +112%, property crime: +50%, person crime: +32%, and drug offenses: +310%.1b
2. Hall oversees a contentious workplace where the County Administrator, Tim Johnson,2 Commissioner Kaety Jacobson,2a and other long-time employees have resigned, many citing workplace conflict as the reason for leaving.
3. Hall has never answered questions on how the county went from a multi-million-dollar surplus to a four-million-dollar deficit in just one year, causing a six-month long hiring freeze.3
A Pattern of Secrecy and Avoidance of Accountability
4. Hall is being investigated by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission for violating the law for making decisions privately as far back as 2023, if not earlier.4
5. Hall refuses to investigate high-level county corruption first testified to by the DA on March 19, 2025.5, 5a Instead, Hall attacks the DA, and says her office is being investigated, but doesn't say by who, why exactly, the cost, or when the investigation will be over.5b
6. Hall refuses to meet or speak with constituents she “doesn’t trust [so] any communication with me will go through staff, or email. I can’t trust the telephone,” Hall wrote.6, 6a
7. Hall refused to answer Commissioner Casey Miller’s questions and then abruptly left the meeting when Miller respectfully asked for advice on how to do his job after the baseless anonymous complaint was raised against Miller.7
Retaliation and Abuse of Power
8. Hall allowed spending $65,000 to “investigate” Miller for “bullying” after Miller suggested on 9/18/24 that Hall and Commissioner Kaety Jacobson refrain from making decisions in private, as required by ORS 192.630(2). Miller was found innocent of all bullying/harassment charges. 8
9. Hall has refused Miller's requests to place items on the BOC meeting agenda on 41 separate occasions between 7/17/24 and 10/31/25. By law, Miller is allowed to bring items before the BOC, so silencing him violates ORS 192.630(2).9
10.Hall has refused Miller's requests to meet in executive session on nine separate occasions between 7/17/24 and 7/17/25. The BOC has not held any executive sessions since 10/7/21, accept those held to purchase $7,013,816.00 in real-estate.10
11.Hall banned a whistleblower from attending BOC meetings for six months without a warning, violating the County’s own rules. Why was she banned? The constituent alerted the BOC what a high-ranking County official told her about rampant corruption at County headquarters, and the official slandering a respected local judge, a Commissioner, the DA, and the DA’s husband.11
12.Hall regularly allows investigations into long-time county employees because they do not 100% support Hall’s agenda (as a pretext so they can be fired).12, 12a
Legal and Ethical Consequences
13.Hall is being sued personally for $4.5M for illegally firing three county employees. Several other high-level County officials are also named as defendants in the suit.13
Hall’s leadership once made a difference. But after 22 years14 in office, the pattern of secrecy, retaliation, and broken trust documented above shows how far she’s drifted from the values that once earned her support.
Footnotes
1 Jenna Wallace, Lincoln County District Attorney, BOC Meeting, at 01:23:15, Nov. 3, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-1
1a Lincoln Chronicle, "Oregon Ethics Commission votes unanimously to conduct full investigation of Lincoln County commissioners’ hiring decisions", Oct. 9, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-1a
1b Newport News Times, "Lincoln County DA outlines ability to prosecute ‘severely impacted’ by county hiring freezes", Sept. 26, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-1b
2 Lincoln Chronicle, "Lincoln County’s first full-time administrator resigns after almost three years in the job", Feb. 10, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-2
NOTE: The County Administrator position remains unfilled after nine months of searching.
2a Lincoln Chronicle, "Lincoln County Commissioner Kaety Jacobson resigning next month with two years left in term", Jan. 12, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-2a
3 Lincoln Chronicle, "County commissioners adopt 2025-26 budget but using hiring freeze to make up $4 million deficit", June 19, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-3
4 Lincoln Chronicle, "Oregon Ethics Commission votes unanimously to conduct full investigation of Lincoln County commissioners’ hiring decisions", Oct. 9, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-4
5 Jenna Wallace, DA, BOC Meeting, at 01:01:39, Mar. 19, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-5
5a Jenna Wallace, DA, "DA Requests External Investigation into County Misconduct", Apr. 16, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-5a
5b Newport News Times, "DA requests probe into alleged county misconduct", April 27, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-5b
6 Claire Elizabeth Hall, Lincoln County Commissioner, “Claire Elizabeth Hall's Post”, Aug. 17, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-6 or tinyurl.com/RecallHall-6a
7 Casey Miller, Lincoln County Commissioner, BOC Meeting, at 03:12:00, Oct. 2, 2024 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-7
8 Lincoln Chronicle, "After four-month probe, investigators say Lincoln County commissioner Miller violated one personnel rule but did not harass staff", Jan. 20, 2025
NOTE: The County has so far failed to provide the legal invoices documenting this “investigation” that have been requested. The $65,000 amount was verbally provided by a County employee who requested anonymity, for fear of retribution. — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-8
9 Casey Miller, Commissioner, “Agenda Requests & Details (NOT FACILITATED) - October 2025”, Provided to a constituent who requested it on Nov. 3, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-9
10 Id. — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-10
10a Christine Jamison, “BOC-Executive-Sessions”, Nov. 8, 2025. Drawn from meeting minutes posted on https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/129/Agendas-Minutes. — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-10a
11 Lincoln Chronicle, "Disagreements over comments from county’s attorney leads to woman’s exclusion from commission meetings", July 3, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-11
12 Debbie Simmons Howard, "If you have not signed the recall petition, please do. ", Oct. 13, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-12
12a Debbie Simmons Howard, "KNOW your RIGHTS! I won’t be bullied…", Oct. 15, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-12a
13 Case 25CV32773: Wallace vs. Lincoln County, et. at., "Amended Complaint”, Sept 22, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-13
13a Lincoln Chronicle, "Lincoln County fires district attorney’s husband from job in her office; $3.3 million lawsuit filed in May", June 24, 2025 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-13a
14 Lincoln County Election Clerk, "November 2, 2004 General Election Results", December, 2004 — tinyurl.com/RecallHall-14
Feedback is appreciated. Christine Jamison, the Chief Petitioner of the recall, can be reached at info@recallhall.com or via text/voice at THE-RECALL5 (843-732-2555).
Last updated 11/15/2025 6:21pm
