DeSpain urges DOJ to look into federally-funded BOLI grants
Oregon Fourth Congressional District Candidate Monique DeSpain sent a letter to the US Attorney for Oregon to urge the US Department of Justice to review a recent TV interview with Congresswoman Val Hoyle for other possible pay-to-play schemes and illegal grant activity with employers in Oregon.
Hoyle described her relationship with Oregon employers as similar to that which she had with La Mota’s executives, despite La Mota having eleven employee complaints before BOLI at the time while owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, facing dozens of lawsuits for debts owed to creditors, and still making sizable donations to elected officials, including
Hoyle.
“Val Hoyle explained in her recent TV interview that the way she communicated with and assisted La Mota was the same as how she dealt with all other employers in Oregon. I am urging the US DOJ to review Hoyle’s statements and the BOLI communications they’ve subpoenaed for evidence of illicit pay-to-play activity with other employers, similar to Hoyle's activity currently being investigated,” said DeSpain. “Congresswoman Hoyle was clear that she believes that receiving donations and strong-arming illegal grants for employers is just fine, even when employees of those businesses have active complaints against them with Hoyle’s agency.”
On January 29th, the US Department of Justice issued a subpoena to BOLI for “all records” related to the illegal grant ENDVR received, a grant for which email records show Hoyle was the “key organizer” ensuring it was awarded. The subpoena was issued just five days after DeSpain’s January 24th press conference launching WhatsValHiding.com and DeSpain’s letter to the US Attorney for the District of Oregon Natalie K. Wight, calling on Ms. Wight to expand her investigation to include Hoyle and her activities.
For eleven months after leaving BOLI in 2023, Congresswoman Hoyle denied BOLI access to key public records on her personal cell phone, which media outlets have referenced in bringing Hoyle’s illicit activities to public attention - activities that are now the subject of the federal investigation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
“As a retired Air Force Colonel who conducted investigations in the JAG Corps for 20 years, I will continue to speak up and call out corrupt, bad actors like Val Hoyle who are standing in the way of addressing voters' top priorities. After voters deploy me to Congress this November, I will use my independent voice to deliver bold, commonsense solutions for the struggling, hard-working people of the Fourth District.”
