WE THE PEOPLE of Oregon are demanding the resignation of Greg Smith immediately for reasons herein, and more!
We’ve got all the Tea on sleazy Data Center Sellout Greg Smith and all his dirty little alleged co-conspirators who all seem to be double or even triple-dipping, but we’ll let you decide. Get your popcorn because this Tea is HOT!
TAKEAWAYS:
- WE THE PEOPLE OF OREGON Call for the Immediate Resignation of Greg Smith
- Greg Smith is Double-Dipping with his Friends
- Greg Smith is on Ways and Means so he controls budget for Ethics Committee AND MORE
- Greg Smith hold multiple positions taking pay
- Greg Smith is involved in insider information exploitations for profit and power
- Greg Smith is getting funding from Democrats
- Greg Smith is a Data Center Sellout – Receipts
- Republicans Called for Resignation of Greg Smith, WE DO TOO!
CALL FOR RESIGNATION OF GREG SMITH
Oregonians are calling for the resignation of Greg Smith, and we’re not alone. Kerry McQuisten, a Republican candidate for Governor in 2022 and former Baker City Mayor, has publicly called for Smith’s resignation last year when he stated:
“It’s time for our House minority leadership to step up and talk to him and urge a resignation.” … “I would be absolutely stunned if there weren’t criminal charges brought.”
We agree. So why has Tina Kotek and AG Dan Rayfield been so quite about this along with all the rest? Let’s take a look.
VERIFIED FACTS
This research about Greg Smith, the Data Center King with 26-years as incumbent State Representative for Oregon House District 57, also include the worst water crisis Oregon has ever seen.
These are verified facts drawn from public records and published news reporting. All claims in each verified section are attributed to named sources. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more COMING SOON!
GREG SMITH FUNDRAISING SURGE: RECORD-BREAKING CYCLE
How is Greg Smith is raising money faster than at any point in his 26-year career? That’s a great question, especially after being found GUILY of Violating Ethics 7-0, but when you start to compare the numbers, you can see what’s happening.
We start by comparing the same January 1 through April 13 window across every election year on record:
| Year | Jan 1 – Apr 13 Total | Number of Donations |
| 2018 | $24,000 | 22 donations |
| 2020 | $13,300 | 15 donations |
| 2022 | $18,500 | 19 donations |
| 2024 | $33,800 | 30 donations |
| 2026 (current) | $80,378 | 36 donations |
As you can see, Greg Smith has raised more than double his previous record during this same window. The only variable that changed entering 2026: a credible primary challenger entered the race.
Source: ORESTAR
WATER CRISIS DONORS: CONTAMINATION-CONNECTED COMPANIES PAYING UP
Tragically, Oregon is experiencing the worst water crisis in history. More than 600 families in Morrow County have been placed on bottled water due to nitrate contamination of the Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater. Unreal.
Making it Oregon’s first-ever groundwater emergency declared over the crisis. Here’s the fishy part though, several companies connected to the contamination litigation appear among Greg Smith’s most significant recent donors begging the question, is he covering for them? Or worse, is he covering up more than we know? Take a look for yourself, and let me know in the chats.
| Donor | Date | Amount | Note |
| Threemile Canyon Farms | Mar 18, 2026 | $3,500 | Largest single donation ever from this donor |
| Brent Baglien | Mar 24, 2026 | $3,500 | 7x larger than his previous maximum donation |
| Beef Northwest Feeders | Apr 11, 2026 | $2,500 | Company and owner gave on the exact same day |
| John R. Wilson Jr. | Apr 11, 2026 | $2,500 | First-ever donation to Smith on the same day as his company |
Beef Northwest Feeders and its owner John R. Wilson Jr. gave on the exact same day of April 11, 2026. What’s also interesting, Wilson had no prior donation history with Greg Smith, so it can and should be looked at as one large donation in my opinion, seeing how it was his first-ever contribution that just happened to arrived the same day his company’s check did. Do you think that’s almost like making one large donation in two payments? What do you think?
Source: ORESTAR
HAPPENING NOW IN OREGON:
CONTINUED…
PAC FUNDING: TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE DOLLARS
Prepare to get sick when you realize that the majority of Oregon officials are being controlled by outside money, let me explain.
In the current election cycle, 66% of every dollar Greg Smith has raised came from a Political Action Committee (PAC) and that’s the the highest PAC share in at least a decade with less than 4 cents of every dollar he has raised over his career actually coming from inside his own House District 57 like it should. But wait, there’s more…
• Big pharma (PhRMA, Pfizer, Eli Lilly) has given $8,000 this cycle. PhRMA alone gave a $5,000 single donation. PhRMA is headquartered in Washington D.C.
• Big tobacco (Altria, Reynolds American) has contributed thousands over the years and continues donating this cycle.
• SMART Local 16 PAC, a Portland-based union political committee, gave Smith $7,000 in March 2026. That same PAC gave $50,000 to Democratic Governor Tina Kotek and $25,000 to Democratic Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The same special interest group funding Oregon’s Democratic governor and attorney general is also one of Greg Smith’s biggest donors.
KEY FACT: SMART Local 16 PAC gave $50,000 to Governor Tina Kotek, $25,000 to AG Dan Rayfield, and $7,000 to Republican Greg Smith all in the same cycle.
Source: ORESTAR
ATTORNEY GENERAL LAWSUIT: $6.9 MILLION INSIDER DEALING ALLEGATION
In July 2025, the Oregon Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Greg Smith alleging insider dealing in connection with the sale of a broadband company.
The Allegation
Greg Smith served on the board of Inland Development Corp., a nonprofit. Board members such as Greg Smith, among others, used their insider knowledge of Amazon’s planned expansion in Morrow County to purchase Windwave Technologies, a broadband company owned by the nonprofit, for $2.6 million.
AG Dan Rayfield alleges the company was worth at least $6.9 million more than what was paid. Board members then profited as Amazon’s expansion drove up the company’s value.
Key Facts
• Smith served on the Inland Development Corp. board, giving him advance knowledge of the Amazon expansion
• The AG alleges the company was intentionally undervalued to benefit the buyers
• The AG is seeking reparations of $6.9M+ and is seeking to bar Smith from serving on Oregon charity boards
• The AG’s office described the conduct as ‘gaming the system for private gain’
• AG Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit, and he’s a Democrat Greg Smith previously supported for House Speaker
NOTABLE: AG who filed this lawsuit against Greg Smith is the same Dan Rayfield that Smith moved to support for House Speaker. The same Rayfield whose campaign received $25,000 from SMART Local 16 PAC. Source: Salem Reporter, ORESTAR.
Source: Salem Reporter (July 18, 2025) | OPB (July 18, 2025) | East Oregonian (July 16, 2025)
ETHICS COMMISSION: THREE SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS
Greg Smith is the subject of three separate investigations by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.
Investigation A: Failure to Disclose Clients (Settled March 2025)
Smith initially listed zero clients on his 2024 economic interest statement, as required by a 2023 transparency law, and that a law he voted for, ironically. He later amended the statement to include Harney County ($84,000 paid to his private company in 2023), Umatilla Electric Cooperative, and Eastern Oregon University. The Ethics Commission found a violation and issued a letter of education. His total income from all sources in 2023: $945,901.
Source: Oregon Capital Chronicle (January 24, 2025) | Salem Reporter (March 11, 2025)
Investigation B: Morrow Development Income (Active as of July 2025)
A complaint filed May 2025 alleged Smith failed to disclose that Morrow Development Company provided at least 10% of his private company’s income and had legislative interests. Smith amended his disclosure statements for both 2023 and 2024 only after the complaint was filed that clearly shows a pattern of non-disclosure across multiple years.
Source: Salem Reporter (July 18, 2025)
Investigation C: Columbia Development Authority Conflicts (Active as of October 2025)
Smith simultaneously holds: (1) State Representative; (2) full-time Executive Director of the Columbia Development Authority (CDA), a public agency; and (3) owner of Gregory Smith & Company LLC, a private consulting firm with multiple public contracts. The Ethics Commission approved an investigation in October 2025 into whether Smith accepted a full-time CDA salary without working full-time, received unauthorized benefits, and used CDA resources for his private business.
• Smith claimed to work 8-hour days for CDA while also serving in the legislature
• The U.S. Defense Department severed CDA’s federal funding after finding the federal government was ‘misled’ about Smith’s pay increase and that he failed to account for hours properly
REPUBLICANS CALL FOR RESIGNATION OF GREG SMITH
Kerry McQuisten, a Republican candidate for Governor in 2022 and former Baker City Mayor, publicly called for Smith’s resignation in February 2025. McQuisten stated:
“It’s time for our House minority leadership to step up and talk to him and urge a resignation.” … “Party affiliation has nothing to do with corruption.” … “He has been juggling multiple full-time jobs for years. Common sense will tell you that it is physically impossible to be in all of those areas at the same time.” … “I would be absolutely stunned if there weren’t criminal charges brought.”
• An unauthorized pay increase was later revoked
Source: Hermiston Herald (October 14, 2025) | Salem Reporter (February 27, 2025) | Malheur Enterprise (February 27, 2025)
Source: Salem Reporter (February 27, 2025) | Malheur Enterprise (February 27, 2025)
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: $1 MILLION A YEAR FROM MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS JOBS
Smith simultaneously draws income from multiple sources while holding public office:
• State Representative with ALL legislative salary plus benefits AND his wife serves as his legislative assistant
• Columbia Development Authority Executive Director with full-time executive of a public agency
• Gregory Smith & Company LLC has private consulting contracts with public agencies he represents, including Harney County ($84,000 in 2023), Wheeler County ($2,500/month; $692,311 total over 23 years), Umatilla Electric Cooperative, Eastern Oregon University, and Morrow Development Company
• Total income 2023: $945,901 per his own economic disclosure. Prior years reportedly exceeded $1 million.
The Direct Conflict: Voting Himself Taxpayer Money
Wheeler County is within House District 57. Wheeler County paid Smith’s company $30,000 a year for economic development services. In 2023, Smith secured $1.2 million in state funds for Wheeler County through the Ways and Means Committee THAT HE SERVES ON. Willamette Week described Smith as potentially ‘the best compensated lawmaker in Salem.’
Source: Oregon Capital Chronicle (January 24, 2025) | Times-Journal (November 21, 2024) | Salem Reporter (March 11, 2025)
CONTINUED…
26 YEARS OF WATER CRISIS INACTION
The nitrate contamination crisis in the Lower Umatilla Basin has been documented since 1989. Greg Smith has been in office for 26 of those 33 years. During his tenure, the problem worsened and it still has not been addressed.
| Year | Event |
| 1989 | Lower Umatilla Basin contamination first identified |
| 1990 | Oregon declares area a Groundwater Management Area |
| 2000 | Greg Smith elected to State House |
| 1997–2020 | Nitrate levels increase 55% during this period |
| 2020 | EPA receives petition for emergency action |
| 2022 | Oregon’s first groundwater emergency declared (not by Smith) |
| 2024 | 40% of Morrow County wells exceed federal safety limits |
| 2025 | Crisis ongoing: no comprehensive solution from Smith |
• 40% of Morrow County wells exceed the federal safety limit for nitrates
• Some wells test 4 to 5 times the federal limit
• More than 1,700 households tested; hundreds contaminated; 45,000+ people potentially affected
• Port of Morrow accumulated 395 permit violations in 71 days
• More than $2 million in DEQ fines issued for contamination continues
Source: OPB (multiple, 2022–2025) | KGW (multiple, 2023–2024) | Oregon Capital Chronicle (February 29, 2024)
CAMPAIGN FINANCE SPREADSHEET: ANOMALIES FROM ORESTAR RECORDS
A review of Greg Smith’s full ORESTAR campaign finance records reveals several patterns that warrant closer examination.
Finding A: $67,250 from Union and Labor PACs
Over the course of Smith’s career, Portland-based union and labor PACs have contributed at least $67,250 to his campaign. These are organizations that predominantly fund Democratic candidates:
• Local 48 Electricians PAC (Portland): $15,000 across multiple cycles, including $10,000 in April 2026
• SMART Local 16 PAC (Portland): $10,000 total across cycles, including $7,000 in March 2026
• Oregon Laborers Political Action Committee (Portland): $9,000 across cycles, including $5,000 in April 2026
• Western States Regional Council of Carpenters (Los Angeles): $5,000 in January 2026
• Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest (Portland): $6,500 across cycles
• International Union of Painters & Allied Trades AFL-CIO (Tukwila, WA): $4,000 across cycles
• SEIU Local 49 COPE Fund (Portland): $2,500 in May 2024
• Oregon AFSCME Council 75 (Salem): $5,750 across cycles
• Building Trades PAC (Portland): $4,500 across cycles
NOTABLE: Three major labor PAC contributions arrived in rapid succession in early 2026 AFTER Greg Smith was known for being Unethical
Local 48 Electricians ($10,000, April 2), Oregon Beverage PAC ($5,000, April 2), Oregon Laborers ($5,000, April 6), and SMART Local 16 ($7,000, March 30). Combined: $27,000 from Portland-based PACs in a two-week window. Source: ORESTAR.
Finding B: Amazon Gave Smith $2,500 in January 2018
Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc. contributed $2,500 to Greg Smith’s campaign on January 29, 2018. This predates the Windwave Technologies insider dealing that is now the subject of the AG lawsuit, in which Amazon’s planned Morrow County expansion was central to the alleged scheme. Smith served on the board that sold the broadband company using inside knowledge of that same Amazon expansion.
Source: ORESTAR
Finding C: Smith’s Campaign Paid $94,000 to Other PACs
An unusual feature of Smith’s campaign finance records is the volume of money his campaign has sent to other PACs:
• Promote Oregon Leadership PAC (PAC #682): $74,000 paid out over time from Smith’s campaign
• Evergreen Oregon PAC (PAC #20202): $20,000 paid from Smith’s campaign
Money flowing from a candidate’s campaign into separate PACs without clear purpose descriptions warrants examination. This is a known mechanism for obscuring the ultimate destination of campaign funds. Both PACs should be reviewed for their own donor and expenditure disclosures.
Source: ORESTAR
Finding D: Campaign Payments to Staff and Disclosure Violations with Potential Double-Dipping
Smith’s campaign has made regular monthly cash payments to three individuals who are understood to be current or former campaign and legislative staff. All three share the same anomaly: virtually no purpose descriptions filed on any of their transactions, in apparent violation of ORS 260.083, which requires purpose descriptions on all campaign expenditures.
| Individual | City | Total Received | # of Payments | Purpose Descs Filed | Role |
| Dawson Q. Quinton | Canyon City / Boardman, OR | $57,650 | 48 | 0 of 48 | Former Chief of Staff |
| Calvin Bennett | Mitchell / Umatilla, OR | $16,124 | 20 | 1 of 20 | Current Chief of Staff |
| Ryan Smith | Tigard / Tualatin, OR | $15,725 | 18 | 0 of 18 | Alleged capitol staff |
Combined, these three individuals have received $89,499 from Smith’s campaign across 86 transactions, with a total of one purpose description filed. Oregon campaign finance law requires purpose descriptions on expenditures regardless of whether the recipient is a staff member. This is a pattern of non-compliance, not an isolated oversight.
The Double-Dipping Question: Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith & Calvin Bennett receive regular monthly payments from Greg Smith’s campaign while allegedly also working as staff in the Oregon State Capitol at a position that would be funded by state taxpayers. If Bennett and Smith are simultaneously drawing a state-funded legislative staff salary and receiving campaign payments, that raises the same ‘multiple paychecks from public and political sources’ question that is already central to Greg Smith’s ethics investigations.
Greg Smith’s pattern of holding multiple simultaneous paid positions, legislator, CDA executive director, private consultant who is already the subject of three ethics investigations. If a member of his staff is structured similarly, drawing both taxpayer-funded and campaign-funded compensation for overlapping work, that pattern extends beyond the representative himself.
FollowTheMoney.org (now part of OpenSecrets) maintains a ‘similarity index’ that identifies candidates who receive money from the same donors. Greg Smith’s profile shows donor overlap with Democratic candidates, including the Speaker of the House, creating a data pattern consistent with the cross-party PAC funding documented in this section.
FollowTheMoney profile for Greg Smith is public: https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=13005467&default=candidate
Source: FollowTheMoney.org | OpenSecrets | ORESTAR
ETHICS FINDING DELAYED PAST THE ELECTION: THE APRIL WAIVER
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission was scheduled to issue a finding in April 2026 on one of the active investigations into Greg Smith. Smith obtained a time waiver that pushed the release of that finding to June 2026, after the May 19 primary election. Voters will not see the outcome before they cast their ballots.
The Unusual Length of the Delay
Time waivers from the Oregon Ethics Commission are standard but typically limited to approximately one month. The waiver Smith received extends the delay by roughly two months, PAST the election. A delay of this length required significant effort to obtain. The result is that an ethics finding on a sitting legislator in an active primary will be withheld from public view until after voters have decided.
The Structural Conflict: Ways and Means Funds the Ethics Commission
Greg Smith serves as co-vice chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, Oregon’s legislative budget committee. If you are not aware, the “Ways and Means” controls budget allocations for state agencies, including the Oregon Government Ethics Commission’s staff salaries. Democratic leadership, which controls the committee majority and has an interest in Greg Smith’s continued incumbency and Ways and Means presence, holds authority over those funding decisions.
This creates a structural dynamic worth examining: the body responsible for investigating Greg Smith is funded through a process in which Greg Smith holds a committee role, and in which the Democratic majority WHO BENEFIT from Greg Smith’s cooperation and influence because he controls the budget.
KEY FACT: Smith obtained a time waiver pushing an April ethics finding to June, PAST the May 19 primary. Standard waivers extend approximately one month; this one runs two. Voters will not know the outcome before they vote. The Ways and Means Committee, which Smith co-leads and Democrats control, AND it funds the Ethics Commission’s staff salaries.
Source: Oregon Ethics Commission records | Oregon Legislative Assembly budget records.
Source: Oregon Government Ethics Commission public records | Oregon Legislative Assembly budget records
CONCLUSION
Thank you for reading, and expect more COMING SOON! Stay tuned, and get started on more investigation of your own to add more details as we go. One thing we still need, Oregon Legislative Assembly staff payroll, and it’s public record.
We been running low on time, but a public records request would most likely confirm that Ryan Smith appears on the state legislative payroll simultaneously with his campaign payments, highlighting glaring conflicts of interest.
The dates of his monthly campaign payments starting November 2024 can be cross-referenced against any state employment records.
Plus, everyone should know that anyone can file Oregon Ethics Commission complaints, and we should file multiple in my opinion, using the same statute that applies to Greg Smith’s double-dipping (ORS 244). Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that would apply to staff in similar arrangements.
“ORS Chapter 244 is Oregon’s Government Ethics Law, which governs the conduct of public officials to ensure public trust. It prohibits using office for personal financial gain, limits gifts to $50 annually from interested sources, and requires disclosure of conflicts of interest. Violations can lead to civil penalties, including fines up to $5,000 per violation.”
That said, expect more COMING SOON let me know if you find anything worth sharing.
Thank you for reading PNW Social News in Oregon
MORE SOURCES:
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/gotoPublicTransactionSearch.do
https://followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2024&s=OR
https://www.salemreporter.com/
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors244.html
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_260.083
https://www.opensecrets.org/officeholders/gregory-v-smith/summary?cycle=2024&id=13005467
