Prison watchdog appointed interim liquor commission director following ethics probe

Inspector general for Oregon's Department of Corrections Craig Prins has been appointed as the interim director for the state's Liquor and Cannabis Commission, replacing current director Steve Marks.

Marks was one of at least five commission leaders named in an internal ethics violations investigation.

First reported by the Oregonian, Marks and other executives at the OLCC were reprimanded for obtaining rare bottles of expensive bourbon and liquor using their knowledge and position. The investigation determined that the practice had occurred for at least eight years and involved lawmakers.

Lawmaker involvement:Oregon lawmakers may have received rare bourbon. Now the DOJ is investigating

Prins was recommended for the position by Gov. Tina Kotek, who had called for Marks to resign.

Marks submitted his letter of resignation Monday.

In a statement, Kotek noted Prins' experience working as the corrections department's inspector general since 2016, working as a Multnomah County deputy district attorney and executive director of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission from 2004 to 2014.

"Craig Prins brings the necessary experience in change management to correct the course of the commission and support the employees doing the work everyday,” Kotek said in the statement. “He shares my commitment to accountability and transparency, and his appointment will create an opportunity to strengthen oversight, improve customer service, and begin to rebuild the public’s trust.”

Frustrated commission chair

Before the seven-member board heard from Prins and voted on his appointment Wednesday, commission chairman Paul Rosenbaum gave an impassioned opening statement, saying he wanted to "educate the press" and discuss the investigation further.

Rosenbaum was first appointed to the citizen Board of Commissioners in 2017 according to their website. Commissioners are governor-appointed and serve four-year terms. They appoint the executive director.

Rosenbaum called the OLCC the "most open public agency in this state," and called ongoing requests from reporters to comment "inappropriate," saying that commissioners can't speak to each other in private. It is why they declined to comment, he said.

"We have not dodged the press. We followed the rules," Rosenbaum said.

Rosenbaum said he had known of the investigation since Sept. 8. He was told there had been a full investigation and a full finding of fact that was placed in the employment records of each person involved, Rosenbaum said. But Rosenbaum was told reprimands and anything related to the investigation was "confidential," he added.

"It was confidential," Rosenbaum said, repeating himself a third time. "Eight months later when this blows up in the Oregonian, the New York Times, New York Post, and everything else you want to look at me and ask me, 'Did I do the right thing?' Yes, I did."

The other commissioners, he said, were unaware up until "less than a week ago."

Promise of transparency

Rosenbaum ended his opening statement after the commission's attorney warned him against discussing resignations or terminations further as he began to speak of Kotek's letter sent Feb. 8 where she called for the firing of leadership and managers involved.

"What I'm trying to do here is give a perspective of what this commission has been going through the past week," he said.

Prins then spoke, acknowledging he would be taking over the OLCC temporarily as they seek a permanent replacement but said he would make the changes in leadership requested by the governor and cooperate with the Department of Justice as it begins a criminal investigation into the OLCC.

Prins also promised to support and value the staff at OLCC as they "did their work, especially in this climate."

The Department of Corrections has legal custody of about 12,000 people according to 2022 reports.

"When you have that heavy responsibility you have to rely on your core values," Prins said.

At the DOC, he said, those core values are integrity, professionalism, treating people with dignity and respect, maintaining safety and wellness for staff and people in custody, making fact-based decisions, and trying to make positive change.

Prins emphasized, however, stewardship of public trust.

Prins highlighted his 25-year career in public safety and criminal justice, speaking about his experience with overseeing investigations. He said we would "rely" on his years of experience to meet challenges and said he would work with Kotek's office and the commission to identify internal and external issues that "led us to this point."

"You can't move forward, you have to go through," Prins said. "[That] requires seeking wise counsel from many people, serving with transparency and a steady hand and accountability."

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Prison watchdog appointed interim liquor commission director