Portland Business Alliance contests 23 of 25 lobbying violations found by city auditor
Updated May 10, 5:31 PM;
Posted May 10, 5:29 PM
Portland City Hall.Michelle Brence/Staff (file)
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The Portland area’s most influential business organization is contesting broad swaths of a review by the city auditor’s office that found it repeatedly violated city lobbying rules last year.
The auditor’s office declared two weeks ago that the Portland Business Alliance failed to disclose at least 25 times it had contacted city officials in 2020 to request access, funding or action, primarily by email.
But the alliance shot back Monday that 23 of the unreported emails and other interactions with officials did not need to be reported to the city because they didn’t meet the city’s definition of lobbying.
Portland Business Alliance fined for repeatedly violating city lobbying rules
Updated 6:08 PM;
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One of the Portland area’s most influential business organizations repeatedly violated city lobbying rules last year, resulting in a rare fine by the city auditor’s office.
The Portland Business Alliance failed to disclose at least 25 times it had contacted city officials in 2020 to request access, funding or action, primarily by email, an investigation by the auditor’s office found.
Those unreported emails, text messages and other interactions with officials did not appear in quarterly statements the alliance is required to file with the city of Portland as an organization that routinely lobbies City Hall.