Lore Christopher, retired director of human resources for the Oregon Legislature. (Photo courtesy of Keizertimes)
The name kept cropping up in the harassment scandal at the Capitol: Lore Christopher.
She wasn’t considered a central character. The allegations about sexual harassment and discrimination by legislative employees and legislators themselves roiled the Capitol. The pressure and attention has been focused on those at the top – Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek.
But as more documents emerged in recent weeks, Christopher persisted as player in the long scandal. For more than 20 years, Christopher was the chief personnel manager at the Capital.
She was accused of ignoring or downplaying complaints. She was accused of telling one employee to keep quiet, though Christopher’s defenders say she did so out of care for the employee, not any effort to hush the scandal.
The references to Christopher triggered weeks of careful reporting by reporter Claire Withycombe, who is part of our team at the Oregon Capital Bureau. There was good reason to ask.
She is the longest-serving administrator among the team that runs legislative operations day to day even when legislators are back at home. To us, it seemed responsible to determine how the harassment could go on for so many years and at such ultimate cost with an experienced personnel manager on duty through the entire period.
Withycombe combed through the complaint and findings of the state Bureau of Labor and Industries. She dug into lawsuits filed against the state. She interviewed those who know Christopher in her role at the Capitol.
Through her persistence, Withycombe uncovered the agreement that allowed Christopher to retire and then work at home at her old pay of about $12,000 per month for months. State officials hadn’t said a word publicly about the deal.
And, for the most part, they stayed mum after the Oregon Capital Bureau obtained the agreement. Courtney and Kotek declined interviews and didn’t respond to written questions.
As the facts fell into place, Withycombe reached out to Christopher, seeking an interview. She did so several times. Christopher declined. Withycombe sent her detailed written questions, giving Christopher the opportunity to address publicly for the first time the allegations against her. For the most part, Christopher ignored the questions.
Once the story was drafted, Withycombe doubled back to those involved in the story. We have a strict fact-checking protocol meant to ensure accuracy and to be certain that no one named in a story is surprised by what’s coming. Christopher was among those provided excerpts of the draft, and invited to flag any – any – factual error ahead of publication. She didn’t respond.
The story: Legislature’s HR director retires, gets work-at-home deal worth $12,000 a month
This story, we thought, was important for readers. This involved a lot of public money. This involved conduct in public office. And this involved an episode that cost the Legislature more than $1 million in settlement money with victims who had worked in the Capitol. Public officials need to know someone is watching and will question how they use their money and power.
Withycombe did so following the ideals of fairness and accuracy that drive what we do at Salem Reporter. We publicly publish our principles so you can see what guides us.
This sort of reporting isn’t easy and it isn’t cheap. As more and more news organizations lay off reporters, the burden falls to the rest of us to pick up the slack and serve the reader’s interest in honest and effective government. That’s why Salem Reporter was created – to help plug a gap in local news.
You can help ensure that more stories such as Withycombe’s are possible. We need your help in three ways.
First, tip us off. If you know of something that doesn’t seem right or proper, reach out to our reporters or send me a confidential email at [email protected].
Second, share. It’s vitally important to our continued to success to grow our audience. You can help by telling your friends on social media about Salem Reporter, by sharing our stories when they appear in your Facebook or Twitter feed. You can post a simple message, something like: “I’ve found a new sources of local news about Salem and you should take a look too. Go to salemreporter.com.”
Third, subscribe. If you already do, thank you. You are part of the reason the Christopher story was possible. If you haven’t, you can sign up for $10 a month, automatic and easy, by going here.
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We’re here as your local watchdogs and our news team has other great projects in the works. You can be a partner in those all with the steps above.
Thank you for your role in helping Salem establish a new, credible sources of local stories.
Les Zaitz, editor and CEO, Salem Reporter
