Thirst for rare bourbon led Oregon liquor officials to ‘abuse’ their position

Officials with Oregon’s liquor and marijuana regulating agency allegedly “abused their position for personal gain” and violated state ethics laws to obtain rare bottles of top-shelf bourbon worth thousands of dollars.

The state’s governor on Wednesday asked the Oregon liquor and cannabis commission (OLCC) to remove the executive director, Steve Marks, and five other officials after an internal investigation concluded they used their knowledge and connections to obtain the pricey whiskey.

They paid for the alcohol, including Pappy Van Winkle’s 23-year-old bourbon, but their actions violated state laws, according to the details of the investigation obtained by the Associated Press. Tina Kotek, the state’s governor, said they “abused their position for personal gain”.

“This behavior is wholly unacceptable. I will not tolerate wrongful violations of our government ethics laws,” Kotek said in a letter to the board of commissioners.

Oregon statute prohibits officials from using confidential information for personal gain.

The investigation revealed that Marks would ask staff to divert highdemand liquor to specific stores where he would purchase it. Officials told investigators that the practice had been common within the agency for years and was widespread.

Marks denied violating state ethics laws and policy, but told an investigator that as a commission employee he had “to some extent” received preferential treatment in obtaining the alcohol. Officials said they never resold the whiskeys.

After taking office last month, Kotek, a Democrat who was a longserving Oregon house speaker, asked for Marks’s resignation, but no reason was announced. Kotek said she learned of the issues about the bourbon afterward.

The governor has asked Ellen Rosenblum, the state attorney general, to conduct an independent civil investigation into the extent of any wrongdoing and recommend stronger protocols for ensuring ethics laws are followed.

A spokesperson for the agency said the incident “underlines the importance of having public accountability”.

“The OLCC will need to work on rebuilding and restoring our public trust … and adhere to Oregon’s ethics laws,” Mark Pettinger said.

Photograph: Ed Reinke/AP Officials said it had been common practice for years in the agency to divert high-end liquor to specific stores where they could buy it.