PORTLAND, Ore. — One of Oregon’s top political consultants and a vocal critic of Portland’s leadership is being sued by the city over unpaid taxes. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, an attorney for the city of Portland claimed Kevin Looper and his consulting firm Wheelhouse NW owe more than $46,000 in unpaid taxes and fees, including penalties and interest.
Looper and his company didn’t pay city business license fees and county business income taxes for the 2021 tax year, according to the city's lawsuit.
Reached by phone, Looper said he wasn’t aware of the lawsuit until a KGW reporter contacted him.
"This is obviously politically tied to my criticism of the city through People for Portland," he said.
Looper added that he hasn’t received any prior notices by mail, email or phone from the city regarding unpaid taxes.
“I am going to take care of this immediately,” he said. “I’m not trying to dodge taxes.”
Wheelhouse NW was administratively dissolved in February of this year, according to state records. However, Looper explained that Wheelhouse NW is still operational. He wasn't sure why the company's registration with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office was not renewed.
"I've been targeted in many and various ways," Looper said. "On all of this you would think that someone could have reached out by email, mail or phone call. I'm sure there's a reason that didn't happen.”
Looper is one of the state’s most influential political consultants, working as a strategist for Oregon governors, members of Congress and local leaders. Looper is also one of the public faces of People for Portland, a controversial advocacy group created to put pressure on elected officials to take immediate action on Portland’s glaring livability issues such as homelessness, drug use and crime.
