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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
Two new players have joined the dispute over May 20 election results for the Umpqua Public Transit District board (“Bus Project,” Oregon Journalism Project, July 9).
Originally, the incumbent on the board for Position 4, Todd Vaughn, filed a petition in Douglas County Circuit Court, challenging his apparent loss to challenger Natasha Atkinson. The board also took the unusual steps of refusing to certify the election result and pay its share of the election’s costs, claiming County Clerk Dan Loomis overcharged the district.
Vaughn initially filed his case without an attorney. But on July 22, Stephen Joncus, a Happy Valley lawyer who often takes politically charged cases, began representing Vaughn.
For its part, Douglas County has hired Portland lawyer John DiLorenzo, who also has a long history of tackling political cases. “I have just been retained to represent the [Douglas County] clerk and the county,” DiLorenzo told OJP on Aug. 5.
The parties are due in court Aug. 8 for a status check.
