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Portland Police Open Assault Investigation
In the week since WW published an account of the alleged 2012 sexual assault of Erica Naito-Campbell by nonprofit leader Charles McGee and Portland banker Aubré Dickson ("No Way Out," WW, Feb. 7, 2018), Portland police have opened a criminal investigation. "The Police Bureau is aware of this incident and is following national best practice as it relates to victim-centered sexual assault investigation," says bureau spokesman Sgt. Chris Burley. The employers of both men have also taken action. The Black Parent Initiative, where McGee serves as CEO, placed McGee on leave and will launch its own investigation. KeyBank, where Dickson serves as vice president of community development lending, says it has placed Dickson also on leave. On Tuesday afternoon, McGee issued his first statement since the story ran, "unequivocally" denying all wrongdoing.
Bill Could Solve Portland's Car-Theft Wave
Portland car thefts have skyrocketed in recent years, thanks in part to court rulings making it difficult to prosecute repeat offenders ("Car Jack City," WW, Nov. 29, 2017). Now prosecutors, defense attorneys and lawmakers have crafted a possible solution: a bill that would make it a crime to ride in a car with disregard for a "substantial and unjustifiable risk" that the vehicle was stolen. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Lufkin says the bill's language is likely to increase convictions. "I think the compromise we reached will address the vast majority of cases," he says. A hefty cost estimate killed a similar bill in 2017. Rep. Jennifer Williamson (D-Portland), who chairs the House Rules Committee, says the cost still worries her—but she wants a fix: "As a resident of Northwest Portland, I see the aftermath of car break-ins and car thefts nearly every day. I am committed to finding a solution to this growing epidemic in Portland."
Dave Dahl Donates Too Much Bread
Iconic baker Dave Dahl has put some of his fortune into a local election campaign. Dahl, co-founder of Dave's Killer Bread, gave $5,000 to Multnomah County Commission candidate Sharon Maxwell on Jan. 26. It's Dahl's biggest-ever contribution—and it's too big. Voters in 2016 approved a $500 cap on individual donations in county races, although the county is waiting for a court ruling to begin enforcing the rule. Maxwell said on Feb. 13 she'll give the excess cash back. Dahl did not return a call seeking comment.
Portland Survivor Testifies on Domestic Violence Bill
Lawmakers took testimony Feb. 13 on a bill that would expand the legal definition of strangulation. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from survivors of domestic violence, including one of their own, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Portland), who told of her first husband repeatedly choking her 30 years ago. Another survivor offering testimony: Portlander Kim Bradley, whose abuse was the subject of a WW cover story last fall ("For More Than 30 Years, Kim Bradley Hid From Her Husband," WW, Nov. 15, 2017). "There are too many strangulation victims and too many of us don't survive," Bradley told lawmakers. "Strangulation by an intimate partner needs to be a felony."