On April 29, 2023, Willamette Weekly exposed a La Mota scheme to control the Democrat leadership. They were attempting to hide their involvement behind Secretary of State Shemia Fagan's signation. Governor Tina Kotek asked for two investigations by Oregon Government Ethics Commission and Oregon Department of Justice surrounding an audit of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, which Fagan oversaw while employed by La Mota.

Remember the FTX scam, a federal jury found cryptocurrency firm FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy for laundering money. They sent the money to Ukraine and they sent it back to politicians. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) used his considerable clout to shield now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX from tax reporting and regulatory investigations in 2021 and 2022, and was awarded $600,000 in campaign contributions. In the final weeks of the election, Senator Wyden sent the Democrat Party $500,000 through FTX executive Nishad Singh, which helped Kotek win governorship. The state investigation lacked proof that all the failure to report by several candidates didn't violate state campaign finance laws.

How could that be? Does that make it acceptable to do it again? Shortly after Bankman-Fried was found guilty, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned over her consulting contract with La Mota while her office was preparing an audit of state cannabis regulations that included La Mota. While no criminal charges have been filed as of the latest information, subpoenas have been issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office demanding a wide range of documents from state agencies concerning Fagan and the La Mota owners. The federal investigation is ongoing that could lead to legal action in the future.

When La Mota appeared to have ties to cartels while in Florida were discovered, it came out that around 20 Democrat candidates were recipients of campaign donations from La Mota that were never reported. At the top of the list, Governor Kotek received more than $68,000 in political contributions to her campaign by Rosa Cazares, Aaron Mitchell, and La Mota. In the interest of transparency, Governor Kotek told Willamette Weekly she would donate $75,000 to the Oregon Food Bank for food acquisition. Kotek, Tobas Read and Rob Wagner are the only prominent Democrats so far to offset political contributions by donating them to charity. Congresswoman Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) gave the money back to La Mota.

The fact that Kotek took La Mota money that was never reported, violating campaign laws, brings to question, why her donation was never recorded to verify she actually donated $75,000 to the Oregon Food Bank. Nevertheless, what is on the Oregon Food Bank record, is a donation to Tina Kotek PAC for $75,000 on May 1, 2023. Was this before or after she donated $75,000 to them? What makes it stand out is the next largest amount the Oregon Food Bank donated was $18,000 to Portland United for Change and $15,000 to Tenants Against Displacement. They also donated $2,000 to Tobias Reed.

The Oregon Food Bank recently posted a paid advertisement that links to a page supporting noncitizens. The ad states: “At Oregon Food Bank, we cannot achieve our mission to end hunger and its root causes without working to create a government that is accountable to all of us – we call this inclusive democracy… Our government can and should fund programs that invest in what we need to end hunger for good.”

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

Six states, including Oregon, California and Washington, have food assistance programs for noncitizens, according to a 2023 report by the Food Research Action Center, an anti-poverty advocacy and research group based in Washington D.C. A total of 18 states began such programs after Congress barred food aid to noncitizens in a 1996 law. Congress later changed the law to allow such aid to immigrants.

Democrats have sponsored state food aid for immigrants excluded from federal support. Senate Bill 611 would extend food benefits to ineligible immigrants under federal rules who are under 26 or 55 and older. After failing to get a bill passed in 2023, they’ve narrowed the group who would be eligible for state aid to children and youth and older people at risk of hunger. The program can be distributed by a private agency that will prohibit disclosure of information for immigration enforcement.

What kind of political games is the Oregon Food Bank playing by returning Kotek’s donation? Are they the promised arm to distribute SB 611? This bill doesn't include a fiscal appropriation, so how will it be funded? Oregonians made 2.5 million visits in 2024 to the Oregon Food Bank network’s 1,400 sites in 2024. They distributed nearly 100 million pounds of food.

Oregon Food Bank at the end of 2023 biennium, cash flow at end of year was $11,429,767 and spent $60,635,955 on food programs out of $111,816,028 expenditures. That leaves $51 million on other expenses. They identify $20,179,739 as government support. Are they accountable to donors who think they are giving to provide food?

Returning Governor Kotek’s donation that she doesn’t record is a repeat of taking La Mota contributions under the table. It violates Oregon campaign laws and the Oregon Food Bank violates Federal law tax filing for a 501c3.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-02-24 12:00:37

Last Update: 2025-02-25 00:41:49