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Nathan Vasquez, the county prosecutor challenging Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt for his job next year, has received a sizable donation from a major Portland real estate developer.
According to a filing with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, Vasquez received a $71,280 donation from Greg Goodman in the form of “office space rent” on July 22. Goodman has also given Vasquez a $25,000 check, he tells WW.
If this sounds familiar, discounted rent given by real estate owner Jordan Schnitzer to City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez became a contentious issue in the November 2022 election. In that case, a city elections official initially determined that Gonzalez had benefited from below-market rent and moved to fine his campaign $77,000, the difference between what his campaign paid and what the city’s Small Donor Elections program determined was market value. That fine was later overturned by an administrative law judge. The City Auditor’s Office also determined there was no violation.
The difference with the in-kind contribution from Goodman to Vasquez is that the parties have disclosed it at what appears to be full market value.
Goodman has been a longtime critic of Schmidt’s, blaming his policies for the rise in vandalism and property crime downtown. “Mike Schmidt is the single biggest problem we have,” Goodman says. “He’s not enforcing the laws.”
Vasquez has been aggressively raising money in recent months, asking supporters to organize house parties to solicit contributions. In fundraising speeches, he criticizes Measure 110, the state ballot initiative that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, and accuses Schmidt of allowing crime in Portland to get out of control.