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Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez has asked his counterpart in Washington County to handle the prosecution of two people who allegedly vandalized and tried to break in to The Society Hotel. The co-owner of that Old Town boutique hotel, Jessie Burke, was Vasquez’s campaign manager in his successful run for DA last year.
Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton agreed to take on the cases against Nicole Middleton, 42, and Rhythm Kenaley, 30, who were arrested March 27 outside The Society Hotel after a group of people tried to force their way into the lobby.
Vasquez tells WW he is transferring the cases to avoid the possibility of a conflict of interest.
“The two were charged in connection with protests targeting the hotel operated by my campaign manager,” he said in a statement to WW. “Because of that, and out of an abundance of caution, I asked the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to handle prosecution of these two cases moving forward.”
Burke, an outspoken advocate for law and order, ran Vasquez’s 2024 campaign to unseat then-District Attorney Mike Schmidt. (She also ran for Multnomah County commissioner in the same cycle but finished third.) In recent weeks, she has feuded with the organizers of a food and supplies giveaway in a parking lot near her hotel. The police response to that mutual-aid program, Community Free Store PDX, has become a highly fraught topic, both in the Old Town neighborhood and in City Council chambers.
On March 27, protesters demonstrated against Burke, who had called for a crackdown on the giveaway. Police said the crowd struck a pregnant desk clerk with a door before punching and kicking a security guard. Middleton was arrested on charges of assault, attempted assault, coercion, criminal trespass, harassment and disorderly conduct. Kenaley was arrested on charges of criminal mischief.
Community Free Store PDX declaimed responsibility for the break-in attempt.