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How much? $62,000 across three contributions.
Who got it? Andrew Morrison, Republican candidate running to represent District 48 in the Oregon House of Representatives. That district includes parts of Southeast Portland in Multnomah County and the northern part of Clackamas County. He faces incumbent Democrat Lamar Wise, who was appointed to the seat in 2025 following the death of Rep. Hoa Nguyen.
The race could be a close one; Nguyen won the seat by just 1,678 votes in 2024.
Who gave it? Linda Leathers, wife of Brent Leathers, Gresham heir to the Leathers Fuels convenience store empire.
When it was sold to Sierra Enterprises for an undisclosed amount in 2023, Leathers Enterprises Inc. operated 28 fueling stations and 24 convenience stores in Oregon. In addition, it owned six fuel distribution trucks and trailers as well as a U-Haul franchise.
Why does it matter? Linda Leathers’ husband, Brent Leathers, was an heir to the Leathers fortune who in 2000 was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison for raping a 13-year-old girl.
Prosecutors at the time said he had fantasized about the child for six months before the attack and admitted to investigators he had hit and threatened the girl before raping her, according to reporting by The Oregonian. He was 41 at the time.
Since his release, the Leatherses have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to various conservative candidates and causes.
Brent Leathers has donated $62,000 since 2021, including a combined $50,000 contribution to two campaigns backing statewide school-choice measures in 2024.
Leathers Enterprises gave around $272,000 to various candidates and committees between 2020 and 2023. Its largest contribution was $150,000 to the Heart of Main Street PAC, which advocates against “unreasonable and excessive government regulations.” It gave $100,000 in 2023 to the same two school-choice campaigns that Leathers would contribute to just months later.
Since 2024, however, Brent Leathers has not made a recorded political contribution in Oregon—but Linda has.
Prior to 2023, Linda Leathers made no recorded campaign contributions. This election cycle, however, her largesse increased considerably.
She’s contributed $150,000 to Republican candidates for office. Of that, $80,000 has gone to the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee, state Sen. Christine Drazan (R-Canby).
She’s given Morrison a total of $62,100 across three contributions this year. That makes up nearly one-half of the contributions he’s received so far this year.
Reached for comment, Morrison, a tech executive with a long list of endorsements, said he was unfamiliar with the connection between Linda Leathers and Brent Leathers, as well as Brent’s criminal history.
“Goodness,” Morrison said. “I’ll definitely need to get back to you.”
As of press time, however, Morrison had not called WW back.
For her part, Linda Leathers initially declined to comment about her recent campaign contributions.
“It’s my husband you’re going to need to talk to,” she says. “I’d rather not say anything.”
She later responded via text with a fuller statement.
“I support candidates I believe will help turn our state around,” she writes. “I am conservative, and have a strong faith in Christ. The candidates I support typically share those values. I met Andrew about a year ago, and believe he is the best candidate to represent East County. I am the sole owner of my account, I share it with no one, and my donations were only from me.”
Brent Leathers did not return a voicemail or a text seeking comment.
