Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Terry Bean, Dave Hunt, Wim Wiewel

Friday, September 04, 2015

Douglas Fasching, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Every Friday, GoLocalPDX breaks down who's rising and who's falling in the world of Oregon politics. Check out who made the lists this week.

HOT

Terry Bean. This week the judge in Terry Bean’s trial dismissed the charges because the key prosecution witness refused to testify. He was looking at possible jail time and having to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Now he is not. Terry Bean fought the law and Terry Bean cold won. The case was brought to trial after the judge rejected Mr. Bean’s offer of $225k to the victim as part of a civil compromise.

The judge did leave it open for prosecutors to refile the charges if the victim/witness changes his mind and decides to testify. This is not likely as his actions since this trial began have spoke volumes. He fled to San Diego (a city discovered by the Germans in 1904) and has been living off the grid for the last two months using cash and burner cell phones to communicate. (This makes one wonder where a teenager got all of that traveling money). Also he was outed to his friends and family by the state’s lead investigator. That, for obvious reasons, has not made him want to be super helpful. On the bright side, Mr. Bean will now have more time to host fundraisers at his house in the west hills.

Dave Hunt. With Representative Brent Barton announcing he would not seek re-election, this swing district in the middle of Clackamas County got very popular. The Republicans almost won it two years ago, but Steve Newgard came up a few votes short. Rumor has it that, with Barton’s decision, Newgard was going to make another run at it. That might be an expensive and fruitless endeavor. Dave Hunt, the former State Representative of District 40 is telling supporters that he is seriously considering a run for the seat as well. He held the seat for ten years before giving it up to run for the Clackamas County Commission. He should have kept it as he got his ass handed to him coming in 4th in that election (Side Note: Losing to John Ludlow, in anything, must really, really suck.). At any rate, if he decides to run, he would immediately be the frontrunner on the Dems’ side and likely the next representative from that district.

Representative Lew Frederick. The affable Lew Frederick represents District 43...for now. Word on the street is that he has his sights set on higher office, state senator to be exact. Which senate seat is he looking at? The logical choice would be Senate District 22 that covers HD43 and HD44 This district is currently represented by Chip Shields. Sen. Shields has not given any indication that he is not running for re-election, but maybe he wants to devote more time to his family’s lubricant business (Keep your juvenile jokes to yourself, thank you very much!). Rep. Frederick has represented the district very well and the House’s loss would be the Senate’s gain.

NOT

Wim Wiewel. The ‘Con’ in the term ‘Con Man’ is short for ‘Confidence’. It was first used in 1849 by a newspaper to describe William Thompson who would gain the confidence of his victim in order to commit his crime. A ‘con’ usually involves elaborate stories, forged documents, or even some fabricated evidence to support the asserted claims. Would-be university benefactor John Fitzpatrick is no con man. He didn’t need to be. The people at Portland State needed no convincing. He is just an old fashioned bullshit artist and the Viking President bought all that he was selling.

PSU President Wim Wiewel made the Not Column last week because he failed to even do a cursory background check of a man who just offered the university $100m before shouting it from the roof tops (Personally, if a guy offered me $20, I would wait to see the money before I told my friends about it, but that’s just me.).

This week he makes the list for deciding that the accountability for this fiasco should not rest at his feet, but at the feet of the President of the PSU Foundation and the Chief Development Officer. They did not schedule a press conference inviting the Governor and the Mayor and they did not alert the media. But that is neither here nor there. Heads had to roll and it wasn’t going to be his. So for believing that the buck stops just short of your desk, welcome, President Wiewel, back to the Not Column.

Monica Wehby. What did she do to deserve the ignominious distinction of residing here in the Not Column? She played with our hearts, that’s what she did.

Last Friday she reported that she was “listening” to some influential leaders of her party who were encouraging her to run for governor and she was giving it some consideration. When asked for the names of these people she stayed mum. I assume these were real people and not just the voices in her head. And then, on Wednesday, just as the excitement for her potential campaign had reached a fever pitch, our hopes were dashed upon the rocks of despondence when she announced she would not be running for the seat. Alas, we, Oregonians, would be denied a race possibly filled with accusations of plagiarism and restraining orders like her first one.

Now we are just left with the very popular Governor Kate Brown potentially going against the not-even-popular-in-her-own-party Democratic Senator Betsy Johnson who is considering a run as an Independent. That race isn’t going to be nearly as interesting.

Ted Cruz. You might be wondering how the Canadian-born US Senator from Texas and the next person to drop out of the GOP presidential race can make the Not Column all the way up here in Oreegone. You have one man to thank for that: The current Labor Commissioner and next Secretary of State, Brad Avakian.When Commissioner Avakian fined the Gresham bakery, Sweet Cakes By Melissa, for discriminating against a lesbian couple, he turned the owners, Melissa and Aaron Klein into the poster children for the persecuted people of faith. And now Ted “Rafael” Cruz, has turned them into celebrities. They are appearing with him at rallies and in TV commercials in Iowa as he campaigns across the state. Isn’t it bad enough that their crowdfunding campaign raised them more than enough to pay the $135k fine, now they get to enjoy the spotlight and tell everybody how the big, bad government was so mean to them? So, congrats, Senator Cruz for giving these people a platform to portray themselves as victims and an extension on their 15 minutes of fame. Doesn’t he have a government to shut down or something?

Correction. It was brought to my attention by a few people, most notably Tobias Read’s campaign manager, that I mistyped last week when I referred to Rep. Read as a ‘Former State Representative’. That is not correct, he has not given up his seat. He is the current State Representative, but he is not running for re-election as he is running for State Treasurer. When did accuracy become an integral part of e-print columns? Sheesh.

Related Slideshow: Timeline of Terry Bean’s Life and Political Activism

Below is a timeline of Bean’s civil and political activism and his ultimate criminal arrest.

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1978

Bean lobbied for a gay rights ordinance in Eugene that would have prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, public accommodation and employment. The push for an ordinance provoked anti-gay rights backlash and ended in a signature drive that sent the measure to the ballot where it lost 2-1. Bean led the campaign to support the referendum.

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1979

Bean helped organize the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Thousands marched in support of gay rights, demanding a federal ban on discrimination. The march is largely credited for galvanizing and brining gay rights activists across the nation to start fighting as one.

Photo: Terry Bean at the gay gights march in the 1970's, via terry-bean.com

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1980

Bean helped start the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT equal rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States. The advocacy groups works at equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. The group has about 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide, according to its website. Bean was also a board member and represented Portland.

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1989

Bean co-founded the Equity Foundation, a Portland-based philanthropic organization that gives grants to LGBT community groups. He is currently a member of the advisory board.

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1991

Bean helped found the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national political fundraising organization. The group works to get LGBT candidates elected to office by raising money and supporting candidates.

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2000-2002

Bean is instrumental in acquiring the headquarters building for the Human Rights Campaign in D.C. HRC officials credited Bean, who headed the fundraising campaign for the building, for getting it with his real estate experience.

Photo: Human Rights Campaign headquarters in DC, via Wikimedia Commons.

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2007

Bean is recognized with an eight minute tribute video at the “Masquerade, Basic Rights Oregon 25th Annual Award Dinner” where former Vice President Al Gore made an appearance and called Bean his friend, according to the Willamette Week.

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2008

Former Governor Ted Kulongoski declares Aug. 23 Terry Bean Day, recognizing the activists for his civil rights work in the 1970s and beyond. Bean was also awarded the Legacy Award for lifetime achievement in human rights advocacy by the Human Rights Campaign that same year.

Photo: Former Governor Ted Kulongoski, via Wikimedia Commons

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2008

Bean's real estate company hits hard times.

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2012

Bean works as a fundraiser for the Obama campaign. He is invited on Air Force One and donates $500,000 to the campaign. He is even thanked by Obama in a speech during a fundraising event in Portland.

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Nov. 19, 2014

Bean is charged with two counts of sodomy and the sexual abuse of a juvenile male, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Bean’s attorney argues that Bean is innocent and that his arrest was part of an “extortion ring” orchestrated by his former lover Kiah Loy Lawson.

Lawson, 25, was arrested late Wednesday night after turning himself into police. Lawson was indicted by a Lane County grand jury on sex abuse charges and two counts of sodomy, according to police.