PORTLAND, Ore. — Former Oregon House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson on Monday announced she was suspending her campaign for secretary of state.
The Portland Democrat’s surprise announcement cited a yet-to-be-published story. Later Monday afternoon, Willamette Week published an investigation into Williamson's campaign expenditures during the years she served in the Oregon House.
The story cited a pattern of unusual spending of campaign funds, including spending on international travel, hotels, food and drinks. Willamette Week also reported Williamson rented rooms in her husband's office and niece's Salem apartment.
Williamson was House Majority Leader from 2015-2019. In December 2019, Williamson announced she would resign to focus full-time on her campaign for secretary of state.
In a statement on her campaign’s website, Williamson called the upcoming story “baseless” and said it unfairly attacks her integrity.
“Let me be clear, I have always followed Oregon campaign finance laws and fully reported all expenditures for travel and other expenses while fulfilling my responsibilities as House Democratic Majority Leader and fact-finding as a state legislator,” said Williamson.
Williamson said she chose to end her campaign before the filing deadline on March 10 in the hopes that another “truly progressive leader” will join the Democratic primary.
Her decision was first reported by Salem freelance journalist Dick Hughes.
