Salem’s top transit official will pay a fine and donate his accumulated rewards points as the result of a state ethics investigation.
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission investigated Allan Pollock, general manager of the Salem Area Mass Transit District, for applying his personal airline and hotel membership rewards accounts to District-funded business trips.
A Cherriots employee submitted a complaint in July, launching the commission’s investigation. The commission unanimously voted to proceed with a full investigation in a Sept. 23 meeting.
On at least 15 business trips between November 2018 and June 2022, the commission found that he accumulated rewards with an estimated converted value of $760.20 across various programs, including Marriott rewards and Alaska Airlines miles, according to the commission’s Dec. 16 meeting materials.
Pollock has been Cherriots’ general manager since 2007. As a public official, Pollock is subject to state laws that prohibit using his position for personal financial gain under state government ethics law.
Pollock did not submit the required written conflict of interest disclosure when applying for personal points, according to the meeting materials.
In September, an initial commission staff report found Cherriots did not have a policy addressing staff usage of personal rewards accounts when traveling for business, leaving the issue to state law.
Cherriots staff are working on a policy to make it clear employees should not accumulate personal travel rewards with agency business, Pollock’s attorney Bob Steringer told Salem Reporter in October.
The commission found two violations, which carried a maximum civil penalty totalling $10,000 Pollock’s attorney and the commission agreed on the minimum penalty of $100, or 1% of the maximum.
During the meeting, the commission clarified that they lowered the amount during negotiations because Pollock was cooperative, hadn’t spent the rewards points and agreed to donate them to a charity by the end of January.
Pollock signed the final order on Dec. 1, which the commission unanimously approved by vote during the Dec. 16. meeting.
“I appreciate the Ethics Commission raising this issue with me and resolving it in a way that ensures I retain no improper benefit. We are revising Cherriots’ policies to make sure no one makes the same mistake in the future,” Pollock told Salem Reporter Tuesday, in a statement emailed by his attorney.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
