Oregon housing chief amends ethics filings after questions about husband’s firm

Oregon Housing and Community Services director Andrea Bell amended three years of state ethics disclosures on 23 September, the day ProPublica asked about her husband’s work at JH Brawner. Earlier filings did not clearly name the firm; the revised forms identify it as the employer of Joshua Crites.

JH Brawner advises public housing authorities on subsidised housing projects. The firm is paid by those authorities, not by the state, and has consulted on projects that sought or received funding from Bell’s agency. The agency has distributed more than $1.4 billion in state funding for rent-restricted apartments over five years, in addition to federal tax credits.

The projects include Park Place, which received $36 million in state funding, and Aloha 209th, which is awaiting a $17.5 million subsidy. Washington County housing authority executive Molly Rogers said at a June public meeting that she had contacted Bell about the county’s request to receive Aloha 209th funding sooner. Bell did not respond to ProPublica’s questions about her role in funding decisions involving projects advised by the firm. The reporting does not establish that she influenced any such decision.

Bell said she had sought an advisory opinion from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission and updated her forms “to provide clarity”. The governor’s office said it had not been notified of a potential or actual conflict and called for an evaluation by the commission. No commission finding or advisory opinion outcome is reported.

Oregon ethics rules require officials to disclose household income sources and notify their appointing authority in writing about conflicts. Former officials cited by ProPublica said the disclosures warranted review; one said Bell appeared to have violated the law. Those comments are not a commission finding.