The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has resumed the chance-to-purchase program after a diversion scandal.
OLCC photoOLCC employees allegedly “for their own benefit or that of a third party, used their positions and special knowledge to obtain in-demand bottles of liquor that were not then available to the public.â€
That’s one of the first lines in the 11-page summary of the Department of Justice investigation into potential criminal acts by members of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
The Department of Justice did not find enough evidence to bring criminal charges, though it is possible people could face ethics violations. At least six managers were reprimanded, fired or left the OLCC.
We “found that the evidence available to us supports a conclusion that some employees used their positions to obtain high-demand, difficult to find, liquor for themselves or others, but that same evidence fell short of establishing the particulars of any instance in which an employee did so. The sole exception involved evidence that a specific employee requested a liquor distributor send to OLCC a case of a seasonal liquor so that it could be purchased by OLCC executives. However, after examining the records of that liquor store, the bank card processor, and the financial institutions, we were unable to discover the identity of the individual who made the subsequent purchase.â€
There were no policies that prohibited these practices. There was no training that said it was wrong. At least one OLCC executive director endorsed it.
We wish we had better news. Maybe anyone would be tempted, especially in a workplace where such behavior is sanctioned.
One part of Oregon government created a safe space for lapses in virtue.
You can read the summary of the investigation here:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Select any of the free newsletter below, enter your email address and click 'Sign Up."
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(1) comment
“ There was no training that said it was wrong.†I presume these men had mothers?!
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.