Rep. Lamar Wise Violated Oregon Ethics Law, Commission Investigation Finds

State Representative Lamar Wise violated Oregon ethics law by failing to properly disclose a $25,000 payment from the nonprofit Seeding Justice on his statement of economic interest, Willamette Week reported.

The nine-member Oregon Government Ethics Commission is scheduled to review a stipulated final agreement signed by Wise on Friday. Under state law, lawmakers must file annual statements disclosing sources of income exceeding $1,000 to promote transparency and prevent conflicts of interest.

The commission voted at its Oct. 9 meeting to formally investigate two possible ethics violations by Wise. At the time, he called the matter an honest mistake that he swiftly corrected.

“The results of the Commission investigation, if submitted through exhibits and testimony at a contested case hearing, would establish a preponderance of evidence in support of a post-hearing order to find one violation of [Oregon law],” the agreement says.

If the watchdog commission approves the agreement, Wise will receive a letter of education to close the case. A second possible violation involving the omission of active lobbyists associated with his employer will be dropped.

In January 2025, Wise received a $25,000 stipend from Seeding Justice, a Portland-based funder of social change programs. Wise has worked as an organizer with Oregon AFSCME since 2019.

He was appointed in November of that year to fill the House District 48 vacancy left by the death of Democratic Rep. Hoa Nguyen. House District 48 encompasses Southeast Portland, Boring, Damascus, and Pleasant Valley.

When Wise filled out his 2026 statement of economic interest, he omitted the Seeding Justice payment. He also failed to list the names of active lobbyists associated with Oregon AFSCME in a separate section of the form.

Wise said that once he was notified of the errors, he worked with the commission to correct them. He submitted an amendment to his 2026 statement identifying Seeding Justice as a source of income and naming the Oregon AFSCME lobbyists.

Wise recently won the election in House District 48, defeating Republican tech worker Andrew Morrison of Damascus with a 17-point margin of victory.

He did not immediately respond to requests for comment.