Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Returns Campaign Contributions to Terry Bean, Who Was Re-Indicted on Sex Crime Charges Today

Bean is a longtime supporter of Democratic candidates, including the state's top law enforcement official.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. (Justin Katigbak)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wasted no time returning contributions from a campaign donor re-indicted today on sexual abuse charges.

This morning, shortly after 9 am, Portland real estate developer, gay rights activist and longtime Democratic Party fundraiser Terry Bean was arraigned in Lane County Circuit Court on charges that he'd sexually abused a 15-year-old boy in 2013.

Those charges re-instated charges dismissed in 2015 on the eve of trial.

Related: Terry Bean, the Oregon Gay-Rights Pioneer and Leading Democratic Fundraiser, Re-Indicted on Sex Abuse Charges

At 2:06 pm today, the Committee to Elect Ellen Rosenblum Attorney General made a filing in the state's campaign finance database disclosing that the committee was returning a series of contributions from Bean dating back to 2012 and totaling $2,150. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to Richard Meeker, the co-owner of WW's parent company.)

Today's refund marks the second time Rosenblum has given money back to Bean. In 2016, when Rosenblum last ran for re-election, she refunded $1,300 in contributions she'd previously accepted.

"Ellen Rosenblum's actions speak for themselves," says her campaign spokeswoman, Paige Richardson. "Returning the contributions was the right thing to do."

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