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The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has launched an investigation into two potential ethics violations by state Rep. Lamar Wise (D-Southeast Portland).
The commission has begun a formal investigation into whether Wise failed to disclose income he received from the nonprofit group Seeding Justice when listing his potential conflicts of interest. Commissioners heard an overview of a preliminary staff report on the allegations at the commission’s monthly meeting on Oct. 9 and voted 8–0 to launch a full investigation.
Wise, 35, tells WW he’s been transparent with the commission over what was an honest mistake. He expects the matter to be resolved soon. “The investigator I’ve been communicating with has recommended a simple letter of education to close the case,” he writes.
The probe relates to a $25,000 stipend Wise received from Seeding Justice, a Portland-based funder of social change programs, and how the payment was recorded in Wise’s 2026 statement of economic interest, which elected officials must file annually to promote transparency and prevent conflicts of interests.
Wise allegedly responded to the Aug. 4 complaint by amending his SEI filing with assistance from commission staff. An investigator said Wise claimed he’d incorrectly filled out his financial disclosure form.
“Although investigators determined that the payment did not meet the 10% household income threshold for disclosure under one section of the law,” OGEC investigator Daniel Pacheco told the commission, “they concluded that Wise may have violated [a separate law] by failing to to disclose Seeding Justice in another required section addressing income from entities with legislative or administrative interests.”
The OGEC’s preliminary review also found a second potential violation. Pacheco said it appears Wise “failed to to list the lobbyists associated with Oregon AFSCME”—the public employee union is listed as a source of income on Wise’s financial disclosure statement. The investigator did not specify what contact with lobbyists Wise failed to list.
Wise, 35, has worked as a labor organizer for Oregon AFSCME since since 2019. He was appointed in November to replace late state Rep. Hoa Nguyen representing House District 48, which encompasses portions of Southeast Portland, Happy Valley, Damascus, Boring and Barton. He’s now running to keep his seat against Republican tech executive Andrew Morrison of Damascus.
Wise sent WW a copy of a statement he sent to the commission.
”I appreciate the update on this case and based on the explanation of relevant ORS sections, it’s clear I need to correct this form to ensure it’s accuracy. I am unable to attend the meeting next Friday due to existing commitments in my district, but I have amended my financial form to what I understand to be an accurate, complete and corrected 2025 form. I look forward to the resolution of this complaint and appreciate all the work your Commission does to protect the public interest."
