Murmurs: Police Photographed IDs of 345 People at Protest

In other news: Investigation of Loretta Smith is eating into her campaign account.

Portland police check IDs at a June 4 protest. (Joe Riedl)

Police Photographed IDs of 345 People at Protest

The Portland Police Bureau is acknowledging it photographed the IDs of roughly 345 people at the June 4 political protests in downtown Portland. The dueling protests on the left and right ended as riot police detained hundreds of left-wing antifascist and anarchist demonstrators for more than an hour, arresting a handful and releasing others only after officers photographed their IDs. Chief Mike Marshman denied on Oregon Public Broadcasting last week that the photography took place—a denial the bureau quickly admitted was a mistake. Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson says the bureau won't keep the personal information or hand it over to federal officials. "Once any investigation is complete, those not needed as evidence will be disposed of in accordance with current policy," he says. Lawyers with the ACLU of Oregon have said photographing IDs was "a likely violation of the Oregon state law prohibiting the collection and retention of personal information based on political beliefs." The city's Independent Police Review announced June 13 it would investigate the June 4 actions, and Mayor Ted Wheeler sent Marshman a detailed list of questions about police tactics.

Smith Investigation Eats Into Campaign Account

A state investigation into Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith's campaign spending is draining her campaign coffers. Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson's office is investigating Smith's alleged misuse of those funds. Records show Smith, who is term-limited from seeking re-election but has been mulling whether to run for other offices next year, has spent $5,239 from her campaign account on legal fees for that investigation. She has $13,000 on hand. The elections investigation continues after the county on June 8 released the results of an investigation into Smith's conduct toward staff. That investigation found Smith appeared to violate county rules regarding use of staff for political purposes, use of a county credit card for personal expenses, and unprofessional behavior. Perhaps most damaging, the investigation found she allegedly subjected her staff members—two of them women of color—to derogatory comments about Muslims and Latinas. Smith denied any wrongdoing. "Wild claims filed against me were unsubstantiated," Smith said June 8. "I am glad these allegations have been put to rest."

Portland Banking Service Suffers Glitch

Simple, a Portland-based digital banking service, experienced a glitch during the weekend of June 10 that left around 5 percent of its customers unable to view transactions or accurate balances of their accounts. Simple spokeswoman Amy Dunn says an engineering team resolved the issue June 13. But the snafu raises questions for a company that only offers customers access to their bank accounts digitally. The website Market Watch first reported the glitch. Dunn says the company worked quickly to fix its interface. "Large banks are less visible," Dunn says. "As a tech company, the reason we exist is clarity."

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.