Ferrer calls Rep. Bonham's ethics into question over recent newsletter

This newsletter was recently delivered to houses in Oregon House District 59. Debi Ferrer, a member of the Wasco County Democratic Party, is calling the mailing by Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, an unethical use of taxpayer money prior to the Nov. 3 election.

By Tom Peterson

A recent newsletter mailed to some 57,000 constituents by State Representative Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, has local Debie Ferrer calling foul. 

Ferrer, a member of the Wasco County Democratic Party and a resident of The Dalles, said it was unfair and unethical for Bonham to use taxpayer money to send the update. She said it promoted his name and his work and landed in front of voters 43 days prior to the Nov. 3 election.

Bonham is running against Democrat Arlene Burns, the current mayor of Mosier, for the 59th district seat.

Ferrer said the newsletter ran in direct conflict with the intent of rules governing a 60-day blackout period for taxpayer-funded newsletters by those representatives seeking re-election.  

Bonham maintains he did nothing wrong nor intended to circumvent house rules governing state representatives on newsletters.

The newsletter dropped when it did because of a “hectic year,” he said. Bonham said this is the third newsletter he has mailed in as many years.

Oregon House Rule 14.30 states newsletters such as Bonham’s can be sent as long as the newsletter left his “possession and control” 60 days before the day after the primary election.

The printer and mailer of the newsletter, however, is not under the same 60-day timeline, according to Oregon’s Chief Clerk Tim Sekerak, who approved the newsletter.

The Chief Clerk is the administrative officer elected by the membership to be responsible for ensuring that the chamber's business and proceedings run smoothly. It is a non-partisan position.

In this case, Bonham was required to send the newsletter to the printers before Sept. 6. 

Bonham delivered it to Xpress Printers in Sisters on Sept. 2, said Bart Platner at Xpress when Columbia Community Connection contacted him earlier this week.

Xpress printed the newsletter and put it in the mail on Sept. 17, according to an Xpress employee. It showed up in some mailboxes in The Dalles on Monday, Sept. 21 - 43 days before election day, Nov. 3. Ferrer said it was also delivered in Sisters and Madras about the same time.

The mailer, at a cost of $14,439.36, went to every constituent’s residence in District 59, Bonham said. It was paid for by the state out of Bonham’s $160,000 two-year budget for staffing and materials.

Bonham said his actions were following the intent of the house rule.

“Yes, absolutely,” he said. 

Bonham provided emails to Columbia Community Connection that were sent to Sekerak and Xpress owner Jeff Swales with approvals of the mailers. They were dated Sept. 2nd. 

“Again, I think this is a valid conversation to have,” Bonham said of adjusting house rules to have the 60-day, blackout period include printing and mailing. 

“The timing of mine is not what we intended it to be. They normally come out right after the session.... timing got away from us. We wanted to do it. We had the budget set aside to do it, and it’s  important to let people know what we’re doing.”

“Maybe the rule should be more strict,” he said

“This is not the first time the question (of fairness) has been raised,” Chief Clerk Sekerak said on Thursday. “In another suburban Portland district… those things (newsletter from a representative) are hitting mailboxes now.”

Sekerak said House Rules are set by representatives prior to the start of the legislative session. The house had a Democrat majority of 38 to 22 during the last legislative session. 

“Members vote on the rules every year,” Sekerak said. “They can talk about what is confusing and what needs to be clarified to work better.” He said those discussions would likely be held again in November. “Maybe this will come up,” he said.

Bonham said the complaint from Ferrer was  unfortunate. “Those are the  nuances of doing this job. You try to be transparent and someone can misconstrue your intentions.”

Bonham “was pushing the limits as much as he possibly could to send out a campaign mailer at taxpayer expense,” Ferrer said.