Jeff Cogen Starts Work at Signature Gathering Firm
County Chair Jeff Cogen tours a room where workers verify the signature on the ballot on Nov. 6, 2012. - Multnomah CountyFormer Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen confirmed today on his Facebook page that he's begun working for the largest signature gathering firm in state Democratic politics.
WW first reported in September that Democracy Resources had offered Cogen a job.
Democracy Resources president Ted Blaszak is a longtime friend of Cogen. He offered him a position days before Cogen resigned his office in the wake of his affair with a county employee.
Today, Cogen announced some details of the Democracy Resources gig.
"I've been really enjoying my new job as Vice President for Business Development and Strategy at Democracy Resources," Cogen writes on Facebook. "We are a progressive, mission-driven organization that runs grassroots campaigns around the country to qualify ballot measures, elect progressive candidates, educate voters about important issues, register voters and recruit and coordinate volunteers."
The former county chairman goes on to express gratitude for a parachute out of the sex scandal that engulfed the county this summer.
"After the self-inflicted disaster I created this summer," Cogen writes, "I feel so lucky to have landed in a job that lets me continue fighting for social justice, fairness and protecting the earth."
As office-seekers scramble to fill the power vacuum left by Cogen's resignation, the former chairman will remain closely tied to local politics.
As the state's biggest signature-gatherer, Democracy Resources looking at a big workload next year, with possible ballot measures being weighed for tax increases and marijuana legalization.
