The Oregon Elections Division found Springfield mayor Sid Leiken guilty on Monday of applying campaign funds to personal use.
Leiken now owes $2,250 — a combination of the amount of campaign funds misused and a general civil penalty of $250.
A report filed by the State Elections Division was sent to Leiken on Monday explaining the reasoning behind this penalty. The report stated that the mayor’s failure to provide records in June of the $2,000 intended for campaign surveys resulted in his violation.
This survey was supposedly operated by a company headed by Leiken’s mother, Glenda Leiken. In a letter, Sid Leiken wrote that neither he nor his mother had kept records relating to the survey, violating the state law that politicians must keep campaign records for at least two years. Leiken said the Elections Division should determine a penalty.
Don Hamilton, Chief of Communications for the Oregon Secretary of State, said the alleged survey money was removed from his campaign and placed into the bank account of his company, SWL Consulting.
“They told The (Register-) Guard that the survey made 289 calls and received 200 responses,” Hamilton said.
“That’s a wildly successful poll. You’d think there’d be a tally sheet. Nothing. We didn’t get any records at all. This is why we reach this conclusion on this.”
Leiken has 20 days to either pay the fine or request a formal hearing before an administrative judge.
[email protected]