Boddie loses Democrat campaign backing over ‘inappropriate behavior’

Oregon House Democrats will need to reevaluate their effort to gain seats this fall after accusations against Bend City Councilor and House District 54 nominee Nathan Boddie led to a withdrawal of campaign support from the party and several other organizations.

The House Democrats’ major campaign arm, FuturePac, announced Monday it had pulled its support for Boddie, as did the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Bend Fire Fighters Local 227, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon PAC, the Oregon AFL-CIO, the Oregon League of
Conservation Voters PAC and the Oregon Nurses Association.

FuturePac said an investigation found serious allegations of inappropriate behavior by Boddie. In a statement, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek said, “Based on FuturePac’s investigation, I believe these allegations are credible, and we are very disappointed in Dr. Boddie. Elected leaders and candidates should be held to the highest standards, regardless of the political cost.”

Oregon House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson said, “The Oregon House Democratic Caucus is diverse and inclusive. Behavior of the kind detailed in these allegations runs counter to our values. Despite our excitement about the electoral opportunity in Bend, we’ve made the decision to discontinue our support of Dr. Boddie’s campaign. While this is politically disappointing, it’s the right thing to do,” Williamson said.

Boddie and Republican nominee Cheri Helt are seeking the Bend District 54 seat being given up by Republican Knute Buehler, the GOP nominee for governor.

NewsChannel 21 spoke Tuesday with Bend Mayor Casey Roats about what he would like to see out of Salem.

“We need to hear from Speaker of the House Tina Kotek and the FuturePac over in Salem, because they really shouldn’t release baseless allegations against anyone who is in an elected office without backing those up with specifics,” Roats said.

“So I think the ball is in their court. And what I don’t want is for those to turn into a big distraction on City Council. We have a lot of substantive work that needs to get done,” Roats said.

Roats said he expects more information to be available by the council’s next meeting, scheduled for July 18. He said if the allegations are verified, then the council may consider taking up the matter, but only if there is a majority in favor of doing so.

He also said the council was surprised by the allegations.

“We’re just as surprised as everyone else in the community, and I was surprised because that’s not the Nathan I know,” Roats said. “If there is any substance to these allegations, we need to know about it because we should be held to a high standard as elected officials.”

NewsChannel 21 reached out to Boddie, who said he was not free for an interview, but called the allegations “outrageous.”

Fellow Councilor and Mayor Pro-Tem Sally Russell posted a statement Tuesday on Facebook.

“Judgments should not be made until the findings have been brought forward. Elected leaders must always be held to the highest standards, especially in our town – and if the findings show Councilor Boddie did indeed act egregiously, then I believe the Bend City Council should take action,” Russell said.

Both Roats and Russell said they would like to see more details released regarding the investigation.

Deschutes County Democrats also responded to the allegations on Twitter Tuesday, saying,

“The Deschutes Democrats have long felt that whenever allegations of discrimination and harassment are made against people in power, the accuser should be believed.

“But when the accusations come from a Political Action Committee controlled by some of the most powerful people in our state, and the accused is a person who is well known in our community as a forceful advocate for women and the LGBTQ community, the question of what to believe becomes decidedly more difficult.

“Unless and until we have more to go on than a press release from a PAC, we will continue to support Dr. Nathan Boddie, and we hope you will, too.”