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Earlier this month, City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was falsely accused of hit-and-run. On March 3, a woman whose car was rear-ended called 911 and told Portland police—incorrectly—that she recognized the driver as Hardesty. The next day, details of the dispatch report were shared by the conservative Coalition to Save Portland and then picked up by The Oregonian. Hardesty was promptly cleared by the Portland Police Bureau—the woman suspected of the hit-and-run lives in Vancouver, Wash., and bears a superficial resemblance to Hardesty. But the central question remains: Who leaked information about the investigation to the Coalition to Save Portland, a pro-police group with financial ties to the Police Bureau? Gabriel Johnson, the group's founder, claims the information was sent to him by someone in the bureau, and Mayor Ted Wheeler has launched an investigation into the leak. Here's what our readers had to say:
ReasonableSkeptic, via wweek.com: "This is obviously an attempt by the police to discredit Hardesty. An investigation should reveal who was involved and how far up it went. Whoever leaked the information should be prosecuted and their names made public. If you think this isn't about race, or about Hardesty trying to reform the police, you're being dishonest with yourself."
@mlucan1, via Twitter: "Country's Whitest City Finds New & Horrible Ways to Continually Embarrass Itself."
@SarasCrazyLife via Twitter: "The police did something unethical and possibly illegal to get back at someone? Surely the high quality of officers we have would NEVER do such a thing!"
R.O.W.L.F., via wweek.com: "Well, that's it, folks. The police are on the case! And we all know how effective the police are at regulating themselves. I foresee a quick and transparent resolution with no problems!"
Robert C. Kenneth, via email: "It's equally disturbing to see yet another investigation (this time spearheaded by the mayor) into this type of distraction, while the city is all but paralyzed by record violent crime and decimated budgets—all on the heels of costly court settlements related to police abuse and DOJ noncompliance.…I can only imagine the low morale among those sworn PPB officers (of integrity and humanity), who joined the force out of a sense of service to the communities where they live."
Death From Above, via wweek.com: "What are the consequences for [editor] Therese Bottomly and The Oregonian? They aren't victims of misinformation, they were protagonists in this. They amplified unverified reports and, when they were wrong, didn't explain why. Just whitewashed their initial coverage."
Julia Ghoulia, via Facebook: "How was the driver's claim that it was Hardesty even taken seriously in the first place?!? Through a rear view mirror and two panes of glass, it could've been practically anybody who fits a (VERY) vague description of the Commissioner. That's just shameful all around."
Lisa Downing, via Facebook: "Not a fan of Hardesty. But this information should not have been released until it was confirmed. Not cool of the woman to wrongfully accuse the wrong person."
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Email: mzusman@wweek.com