Police Arrest Journalist Who Allegedly Defaced Recall Petitions

Portland Police this morning arrested Lee Perlman, the reporter for the Hollywood Star News who allegedly defaced a petition to recall Mayor Sam Adams last week.

The charge Perlman faces is criminal mischief (PDF) in the third degree, a misdemeanor.

Reached by phone last week, Perlman offered no clear explanation for his actions, saying over and over again that he had "sloppy handwriting." He did, however, offer a story about goats.

"Jimmy Doolittle, the famous flying ace, said that his biggest recreational activity was mountain goat hunting," Perlman told WW. "They said, 'You really like mountain goat hunting.' And he said, 'No, I don't like mountain goat hunting, but I like to hang out with people who like mountain goat hunting."



Mug shot from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department. Cell phone photo of Perlman from J.M. Favata.