Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Political consultants are often compared to practitioners of the world's oldest profession, but that hardly does justice to this week's Rogue. No streetwalker could be more mercenary than Chuck Adams. The GOP hired hand has more than once played fast and loose with election laws and ethics during his 18 years in the business. Now it looks as if Adams and his loyal lieutenant Elaine Franklin (yes, that Elaine Franklin) have turned--uh, learned--some new political tricks. His first act of political roguery surfaced in the botched attempt of state Sen. Marylin Shannon, forced out of office by term limits, to switch seats with wide-eyed Rep. Juley Gianella. The wholesome twosome ran a joint primary campaign, using brochures from Adam & Co. Amazingly, Adams betrayed them both--in two separate transactions. First, he signed up with Gianella's opponent, Rep. Roger Beyer. Then he was hired by Associated Oregon Industries to bury Shannon. But Adams' most troubling tactic came in Salem's mayoral race, where he worked for challenger Glenn Wheeler against incumbent Mike Swaim. Behind Wheeler's back, Salem ophthalmologist Gordon Miller paid for--and Adams produced--an ugly "independent" hit piece against Swaim. Election laws about independent expenditures are crystal clear: There has to be a brick wall between the candidate and any advertising that's paid for by an outside party. But Adams was working as an agent for both the candidate and the good doctor. Wheeler just barely avoided a state investigation by reporting the flier as an in-kind contribution to his campaign. This is hardly the first time Adams has been accused of sleazy tactics. In 1994, he was charged with instructing a campaign worker to lie on an initiative petition--a felony. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and he got two years' probation. Two years later, he designed a brochure for Gianella with a photograph of an armed black teenager with the caption, "Welcome to the neighborhood." After this year's primary, House majority leader Mark Simmons spanked Adams for double-dipping in the Gianella/Beyer contest but says there's no reason to cancel any contracts for the November election. "He's the best in the business," says Simmons. We couldn't agree more.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published May 10, 2000