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Blowback from a scandal that rocked the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission in 2023 continues.
Last week, Will Higlin, the agency’s former deputy director, filed suit in Marion County Circuit Court, alleging he was improperly fired on March 10, 2023. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit filed by another former agency official last month.
Related: Former OLCC Spirits Director Sues the State Over Termination
In his lawsuit, Higlin says it was customary practice in the decade he worked at the agency for “lobbyists, elected officials, the general public, restaurateurs, and retail liquor stores” to request to purchase rare bottles of liquor, such as Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.
Higlin says he inquired about the practice and was told that such bottles were made available for purchase as part of the agency’s customer service policy and that the practice was “fully approved, ethical, and legal, for both the general public and also OLCC employees at all levels.”
But after a 2022 whistleblower complaint, the OLCC conducted an internal investigation, which led to reprimands for Higlin and other top agency officials. Higlin says in his lawsuit he was assured the investigation would be kept confidential and that he would not be disciplined if he answered questions truthfully. The Oregonian, however, obtained details of the investigation through a public records request and broke the story in early 2023.
Higlin planned to retire as deputy director effective July 31, 2023, but, according to a plan he says the agency agreed to, he would stay on as an employee for two years to help the OLCC transition to new management and to oversee construction of the agency’s new warehouse.
Instead, he was fired March 10, 2023, and says he has been unable to land a job since. He is seeking $330,000 in damages.
The Oregon Department of Justice, which represents state agencies in court, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering rural Oregon. OJP seeks to inform, engage, and empower readers with investigative and watchdog reporting that makes an impact. Our stories appear in partner newspapers across the state.