The Republican central committee in the home county of state Rep. Greg Smith has called for his resignation, citing what a resolution described as a pattern of unethical conduct in office.

The Morrow County Republican Central Committee approved the resolution at its monthly meeting in January, which drew only a handful of members.

Smith, a Republican from the Morrow County seat of Heppner, dismissed the resolution in a campaign statement as the work of political opponents. The veteran legislator, under investigation for ethics violations, did not dispute the allegations described in the resolution. He did not respond to written questions from Salem Reporter.

“It was time to act,” said Kelly Doherty, the county committee’s treasurer and an elected member of the Port of Morrow Commission, who participated in the meeting.

Her husband, Jim Doherty, is challenging Smith in the Republican primary for the House seat, which has not changed hands in 20 years. He did not attend the meeting.

The House district covers Morrow, Gilliam, Wheeler and Sherman counties in northern Oregon, as well as parts of Wasco, Jefferson, Clackamas and Marion counties.

“Representative Smith’s conduct directly violates the conservative principles and Republican Party values of ethical governance, fiscal accountability, personal responsibility, limited government and rule of law that our voters expect us to uphold,” the resolution stated.

The resolution said the Morrow County Republican Party “will not tolerate corruption or ethical violations from Republican elected officials any more than we would from Democrats.”

The resolution highlighted Smith’s role as executive director of the Columbia Development Authority, a public agency helping transform a former military base near Hermiston into an industrial complex. It said the Oregon Government Ethics Commission concluded in December that Smith used that job to improperly raise his own pay, a matter still pending a final penalty order or an appeal.

The resolution said Smith owes the development authority $33,130 in excess compensation that he was ordered to repay.

It also said Smith has twice conceded violating state ethics laws in 2025.

Republican leadership in the Oregon House “has remained completely silent” about the ethics commission’s findings, the resolution said.

If Smith does not resign, the resolution urges the state Republican Party to censure him and support a primary challenger in the May election.

Word of the resolution spread quickly through Republican circles after the Jan. 21 vote, with Smith appearing to rally support from his backers.

Smith did not attend the meeting. In his statement, he offered a detailed account of the meeting and vote, citing as one source the committee chair, Clint Carlson, a wheat farmer from Ione.

Reached by email, Carlson said he would not comment.

Smith’s statement did not mention the three-page resolution’s allegations. Instead, he described the Dohertys as the “masterminds” behind the document.

In Oregon, county central committees are, by law, “the highest party authority in county party matters.” Seats on the committees are filled during regular elections. Such committees typically raise money, support party candidates and conduct voter registration drives.

The Morrow County committee has 31 seats. Recent minutes show 14 of those seats are vacant. Only eight of the 17 precinct committeepersons attended the January meeting. Doherty said low attendance is typical for the county committee.

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