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MULTNOMAH COUNTY GOP SPLITS: The Multnomah County Republican Party splintered Monday night after 19 precinct committee persons tried to reelect Stephen Lloyd as chairman in the parking lot of a Gresham church. It’s now unclear who leads the county GOP. The vote came less than two weeks after a faction of the party voted to recall Lloyd, in a meeting guarded by a security team affiliated with the Proud Boys. James Ball was one of the PCPs who voted May 17. He says when he and other supporters of Lloyd showed up to the church, vice chairman Alan Conner and those who ousted Lloyd last week refused to let party member Jane Hays inside the building. Ball and Hays tell WW that affiliates of the Proud Boys once again provided security for the meeting. (Daniel Tooze, the Proud Boy who offered security on May 6, says he was there as a Republican on Monday night but did not provide security. He told WW, “I identify as a Proud Boy whenever I feel like it.”) So Ball and 18 other members commenced the meeting in the church parking lot. After it started drizzling, they moved the meeting to Bumpers Grill & Bar. Meeting minutes provided to WW show that Lloyd’s faction, at Bumpers, voted to try and take over the MCRP website and change the password so the other faction no longer had access.
ANTI-VAXX PEDIATRICIAN COULD LOSE LICENSE: The Oregon Medical Board suspended the license of Beaverton pediatrician Paul Thomas on an emergency basis in December, citing his violations of standard medical practice related to vaccines. The suspension remains in place, but now the board is seeking to discipline him on a more permanent basis. On April 22, the board issued a notice of proposed disciplinary action, citing “gross negligence” for " promotion of an inadequate vaccine schedule, which did not meet the standard of care.” He faces possible revocation of his license and fines of up to $10,000 for each violation. Thomas was the subject of a 2019 WW cover story (“Alt-Vaxx,” March 20, 2019), which profiled him after a local measles outbreak, but his alternative facts on vaccines carry new significance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CITY COUGHS UP CIVIC LIFE REPORT: Portland City Hall will release a long-awaited audit report on workplace culture inside the Office of Community & Civic Life after WW and other media outlets successfully appealed the city’s refusal to show the report to the public. On May 13, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty announced Suk Rhee was departing as director of the office. The announcement of Rhee’s departure came two days after the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office ordered that the consultant’s report be released. The office has long been riddled by mismanagement, high turnover and employee allegations of a culture of fear. The report was expected to be released shortly after WW went to press. To see what’s inside, visit wweek.com.
MAN MISSING SINCE MAY DAY FOUND DEAD: On May 13, Portland police confirmed that the body of Michael Watts, a security guard at LGBTQ clubs and a Freddie Mercury impersonator, had been found. Multnomah County Sheriff’s River Patrol deputies found Watts floating in the Willamette River near the Fremont Bridge and confirmed his identity with his family. Watts disappeared from downtown Portland on the night of May 1. In the weeks that followed, Watts’ friends and family posted fliers around downtown, offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to finding him. Watts was known for dancing at Stag PDX and CC Slaughters. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. The Portland Police Bureau says an investigation is ongoing.
