Benton County, Oregon

Making Benton County a Better Place to Live

Benton County Elections – Oregon Government Ethics Commission

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) (offsite link, opens in new window), established by vote of the people in 1974, is a seven-member citizen commission charged with enforcing government ethic laws.

Oregon Government Ethics laws are found in Oregon Revised Statues, Chapter 244:

  • Applies to all elected and appointed officials, employees and volunteers at all levels of state and local government in all three branches;
  • Prohibits use of public office for financial gain;
  • Requires public disclosure of financial conflicts of interest;
  • Requires designated elected and appointed officials to file an annual disclosure of sources of economic interest;
  • Limits gifts that an official may receive per calendar year.

The OGEC also requires lobbyists and the entities they represent to register and periodically report their expenditures.

The third area of OGEC jurisdiction is the executive session provisions of public meetings law.

Visit the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (offsite link, opens in new window) site for resources on ethics information, questions and answers to the Oregon Government Ethics law, records of lobbyists expenditures and links to other useful websites.

OGEC offers free e-learning training modules focusing on government ethics law, lobbying regulations, and executive session provisions. Whether you are a public official or a private citizen, anyone with an e-mail address can register to take classes through iLearnOregon (offsite link, opens in new window) at no cost. Once you are registered in iLearn, you can access training from any Internet-connected computer.