HD 24: Weidner's hole gets a whole lot deeper
Carla Axtman
It's been a suck week for Jim Weidner. First he gets stripped of all but one committee assignment in the House. Then he gets a verbal backhander from the Newberg newspaper of record. Now an ethics complaint has been filed against him by Joseph Munger, president of United Steelworkers Local 8378.
Munger said he and Monte Hansen met with Weidner in his Capitol office on Jan. 28 to try to get his support for legislation giving Oregon companies a financial advantage when bidding on state projects. Both men work at Cascade Steel Rolling Mills in McMinnville.During the meeting, Munger said, Weidner showed them a device that monitors the functioning of industrial machinery and "asked us to speak with our employer about purchasing products from him."
Weidner, who develops and markets various industrial devices, said he talked about the equipment with the two because it happened to be on his desk.
"I can guarantee you I did not ask them to buy any product or go talk to their company about buying products from me," he said.
Munger said he didn't think it was right for Weidner to promote his personal business in such a setting but decided not to do anything about it. However, after reading about the dustup over Weidner's committee assignments, he decided to file a complaint.
"...just happened to be on his desk"...? He's meeting with these two guys and he just happens to have a piece of equipment he can hawk at them just sitting on his desk?
It's entirely possible that the whole episode is a misunderstanding..and Munger tells Mapes that he's "politically opposed" to Weidner (but filed the complaint on his own, not at the behest of any Democratic group). But this is easily strike two for Weidner in the PR department at least--and likely in the reelection department.
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Oct 3, '09
I've got to agree with you Carla. At the very least this is a PR SNAFU of large proportion. On the otherhand it could be a burgeoning case of malfeasance similar to what the now retired BLM Official faces - corruption.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091003/NEWS/910030315
Oct 3, '09
What a difference thirty miles makes. Having a complaint filed against you by a union official is probably a political asset in HD 24. The word "union" is often accompanied by the word "thug" when uttered by the Yamhill County Republican leadership. I respectively disagree with your assessment that Joe's complaint will bide ill for Weidner come election time.
Oct 3, '09
The fact that Weidner is an inept idiot is what will bode ill for him.
Oct 3, '09
I respectively disagree with your assessment that Joe's complaint will bide ill for Weidner come election time.
Hmm... That would be contingent upon the idea that he isn't ejected from office beforehand, wouldn't it?
Because as far as I can tell, a violation of ORS 162.025(1)(a) isn't just an ethics violation; it's also a Class B Felony. And since ORS 171.051 clearly provides for the House to eject a member it finds "disqualified," I wonder what the criteria are for such an ejection. Anyone know?
Oct 4, '09
What I don't understand is why Weidner gave two different stories to two different reporters. He told Mapes that he discussed the product with the steelworkers because the product "happened to be on his desk". He told the News Register that the conversation never happened.
Basically everyone who had business with Jim Weidner knew he was distributing these machines and that his restaurant was losing money. He talked openly about his personal business in the capitol.
It will be interesting to see who else comes forward about this.
Whatever happens with this complaint, my biggest problem with Jim is that he is not competent. He doesn't take the time to study the issues, and he has no idea how to build coalitions outside of what he regards as the "Republican base".
I've seen him say "you're just a Democrat" to some influential consituents who happened to be Republicans when they disagreed with him.
He may or may not have support of the Lars Larson wing of the party, but I know several local Republican business leaders who regret supporting him in 2008.
Oct 4, '09
"I know several local Republican business leaders who regret supporting him in 2008".
A friend of mine helped elect a state rep. a few decades ago who turned out to be this sort of a flake.
Next election, she helped unelect him. Maybe the Republican business leaders should think twice before supporting someone in the future without vetting the person. There was a Republican consultant/pollster on CSPAN right after the 2008 election describing the interview process for applicants to her company--it can take half a day or more of testing, interview, etc. She said it was time to treat candidates the same way.
Oct 6, '09
http://www.newberggraphic.com/news/2009/October/06/Local.News/weidner.faces.ethics.complaint/news.aspx
Oct 18, '09
Wow, Carla, what about Jims civil rights? you have pronounced him a liar and guilty without waiting for a ethics committee report. You sound like you're used to shouting "Crucify him"! yours is a stereotypical voice from a lynch mob in a western, shouting "Hang em"! You have nothing but your obviously biased hatered for someone whos political leanings are contrary to yours. Your comments don't even qualify as being "democratic". your "lets lynch Wiedner" mentality, is more like Nazi's hunting Jews. posted by outsider, "What I don't understand is why Weidner gave two different stories to two different reporters." My question is how do you know he gave two different stories? were you there to hear Jim give his stories to the reporters or is your comment based solely on what the respective papers reported. I'm thinking you were nowhere within earshot of the conversations. So, you have no place to be insinuating that he's a Liar. Those papers only pass on information that passes their editorial boards. The News Resister is notorious for its promotion of Liberal views while it squashes anything it considers to be conservative. You have great courage to tear him apart while hiding your name. Jim on the other hand ran for "public" office in spite of the obvious repercussions he and his family would endure, being a huge target for gutless people like you and your friend "Insider". The hate that comes from the three of you is alarming.
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