Oregon officials request criminal investigation into newspaper reporters over after-hours phone calls, emails

By Meagan Flynn August 20 at 6:05 AM

The Malheur Enterprise, a small newspaper in eastern Oregon, spent months investigating a state lawmaker’s business deals and contract work in Malheur County. But on Monday, the newspaper reported an unusual development: Now the county wants to investigate the Malheur Enterprise — for harassment.

The problem? Reporters made too many phone calls and sent too many emails, at least in the eyes of local government officials.

The newspaper broke the news Monday morning after learning that Malheur County’s legal counsel had asked the sheriff to investigate whether reporters’ persistent attempts to contact officials, sometimes after business hours or using their personal email accounts, amounted to a violation of the law.

State Rep. Greg Smith, the Republican lawmaker at the center of the journalists’ investigation and who also serves as director of Malheur County Economic Development, complained to the newspaper: “It is not appropriate that you are sending emails to employees using their personal email accounts on the weekends,” and asked “to not have our employees contacted outside of their work place,” the paper reported.

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Malheur County officials ask sheriff to assess whether Enterprise reporters broke laws

In an unusual move, Malheur County officials have asked Sheriff Brian Wolfe to consider whether crimes were committed in reporting work by The Enterprise. The calls come after investigative reports about county economic development projects

By Pat Caldwell - The Enterprise August 19, 2019 at 10:00am

VALE – Malheur County officials have asked Sheriff Brian Wolfe to assess whether the Malheur Enterprise has engaged in criminal conduct in its reporting.

County Counsel Stephanie Williams confirmed last week that she contacted Wolfe recently with allegations about emails and phone calls to the county’s economic development officials.

Wolfe verified the contact and said he hasn’t decided whether to open a criminal investigation.

Greg Smith, director of Malheur County Economic Development Department, told the Enterprise in an email last week that “we were instructed to turn over your emails to the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office.”

Smith said the newspaper was sending emails to personal email addresses of economic development officials. He said he has asked the newspaper to “limit your requests to office hours” and to a single county email address.

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