Update: Oregon Attorney General’s Office Responds to Rep. Yunker’s Inquiry

Update: The Oregon Attorney General’s Office has provided this statement concerning Rep. Yunker’s letter:

“For the past year and a half, the Oregon Department of Justice has successfully protected nearly $7 billion in federal funding for critical services that Oregon families and communities depend on, including funding for education, disaster preparedness, emergency infrastructure, and—notably—millions of dollars for crime victims and survivors. For every dollar invested, we bring back more than $1,000 to fund vital services. (These funds can all be tracked on the ODOJ’s website: Federal Funds Safeguarded for Oregon to Date - Oregon Department of Justice)  

“At the same time, the Oregon Department of Justice has been expanding partnerships with local law enforcement through our SPIRE program to investigate and uncover organized crime and human trafficking centered around illicit massage businesses; investigated and prosecuted high profile Medicaid fraud cases; and has stopped corporations colluding to drive up the costs of prescription drugs—just to name a few recent actions.

“The agency’s budget is carefully reviewed and approved by the legislature’s budget analysts and Ways & Means Committees, where legislators have the ability to look closely into the budget details.”

Rep. Dwayne Yunker, R-Grants Pass, sent a formal legislative oversight letter to Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield demanding an accounting of how the Oregon Department of Justice allocates public funds and personnel.

The inquiry focuses on agency spending across federal litigation, crime victim assistance and internal administration.

In the letter sent from Grants Pass, Yunker questioned whether state resources are being directed toward high-cost administrative arrangements and political lawsuits rather than victim services.

The inquiry zeroes in on the Protection and Education Revolving Account under ORS 180.095, restricted crime victim compensation balances and executive employment deals.

Rep. Yunker, a Republican from Grants Pass, raised concerns about the agency's involvement in federal legal challenges, including a multistate lawsuit regarding federal public-charge rules.

“Attorney General Rayfield has established a disturbing pattern of shaking down Oregon businesses to fund a partisan 'Sue-Trump' agenda, most recently jumping into a multistate lawsuit over federal public-charge rules,” Yunker said.

The oversight request specifically highlights spending decisions within the state agency, including a $276,000 interagency deal for an administrative hire, contrasting those expenditures with delays in assistance for victims of crime.

“Between siphoning statutory revolving funds into political litigation and taking on disgraced administrative hires on $276,000 interagency deals, ODOJ's priorities are completely upside down,” Yunker said. “It is a slap in the face to crime victims who are left waiting while state resources are funneled elsewhere.”

Yunker also criticized broader state leadership regarding financial decisions and resource allocation.

“This perfectly illustrates how Gov. Kotek and her political allies operate, draining economic opportunity to bankroll political theater while actual victims sit on waitlists,” Yunker said. “Oregonians deserve full financial transparency.”