A copy of an Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC) preliminary review provided by former Sweet Home Building Official John Gordon recommends the dismissal of a complaint that he violated Oregon law.
Gordon was fired earlier this year after a police investigation into an ethical violation. Gordon’s supervisor, Community Development Director Carol Lewis also conducted a separate investigation, a personnel matter and considered confidential. The city attorney did not file any charges against Gordon based on the investigation, and Police Chief Bob Burford forwarded a copy of the police report and a complaint to the GSPC.
The case will appear before the GSPC on May 31 in an executive session in Salem. The commission will either direct further investigation or dismiss the matter.
The police investigation centered on whether Gordon had used his position to force Hairway 20 owner Cindy Hoover to hire a contractor, Al Riley, who has sometimes employed Gordon’s son-in-law Kelly Moss. Contractor Bill Langdon made the initial complaint to the City of Sweet Home.
“Mr. Gordon, while in his official capacity, apparently introduced a building contractor to a person who was contemplating a building project,” investigator Don Crabtree said in a summary of the review. “Mr. Gordon’s son-in-law has worked about six times for the contractor over the last two years.”
Son-in-law is not defined as a relative under the applicable Oregon law, but his daughter does, Crabtree said. “It does not appear that Mr. Gordon’s introduction had or would have had a discernible financial impact on the household income of Mr. Gordon’s daughter.… There does not appear to be a violation of the laws embodied in ORS Chapter 244.”
Those laws prevent a public official from using or attempting to use an official position or office to obtain financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment that would not otherwise be available. It applies to the official and to relatives of the official.
Crabtree interviewed Riley and Gordon in his preliminary review. From those interviews, Crabtree said that Gordon apparently had discussed the potential project with Riley. Riley and Gordon arrived at about the same time to visit with Hoover at her place of business. Gordon made an introduction and left. Riley discussed the proposed project, rebuilding Hairway 20, destroyed in a fire in December.
At the same time, Crabtree said, though Moss has worked for Riley in the past, he was reported to have had full-time employment with another business at the time of this incident.
In conclusion, Crabtree recommended dismissing the complaint.
“There was nothing there, so it just shows there was nothing wrong,” Gordon told The New Era. “It shows I was telling the truth regardless of what they say.”
Gordon said he introduced the contractor to Hoover then left. He had gone there himself to talk to her about the project.
“I was giving contractors information on the project,” Gordon said. Specifically, on that project, the business had an issue because the building and parking lot were on two separate lots. Building codes required a firewall along that side. That would be made unnecessary by combining the two lots.
That issue is what he talked about with Hoover, Gordon said. Somehow, because he was there with a contractor, Hoover ended up with the impression that Gordon was trying to get her to hire Riley.
“I have no control over who she hires,” Gordon said. “If I ever told someone to hire a contractor, that would be something that would not be appropriate with a person in my position.… Never at any time did I use my position to try to influence her to pick a contractor.… I was there to assist and help them.”
After talking to Hoover about the firewall, Gordon said, he left.
“It’s just a great misunderstanding,” Gordon said. He apologized publicly to Hoover in a previous story appearing in The New Era. “I stand by that.”