Oregon Ethics Commission holds special meeting regarding Greg Smith, votes to extend investigation 30 days
By Griffin Beach on Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Ethics Commission (OEC) held a special meeting Tuesday to review an investigation into complaints against Columbia Development Authority (CDA) Executive Director Greg Smith.
The complaint, received on March 11, 2025, alleges Smith used his position with the CDA to obtain a salary increase for himself and failed to declare a conflict of interest before taking any actions or making decisions that would personally benefit him.
The investigation found that there is a “preponderance of evidence” to establish that Smith failed to properly disclose his conflict of interest, and that there appears to be sufficient information to believe that he engaged in a prohibited use of position.
The investigation found the CDA, through its fiscal agent the Port of Morrow, submitted a 2024 grant application to the Office of Local Defense and Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The application included language that indicated a significant salary adjustment and an increase in compensation for its top two employees, Smith and the Assistant to the Executive Director, to bring those salaries in line with similar positions.
According to the investigation, Smith said a CDA board member brought to his attention language in the grant application stating: “Compensation packages have been approved by the Columbia Development Authority Board and is provided through the Port of Morrow. Requested compensation reflects a significant board approved increase salary adjustment to prior grant periods existing salaries beginning April 1, 2024.”
A review of CDA board meeting minutes and recordings showed that neither Smith nor any CDA employee presented the proposed salary increases to the board prior to the presentation of the grant application at the June 2024 CDA meeting. The board approved the budget at that meeting.
Smith stated upon learning about the language in the grant claiming salary increases were board-approved, he contacted the OLDCC to correct it. He said the OLDCC project manager he spoke with “did not seem concerned and did not indicate that the grant approval would be affected by the change.” Smith contended that he did not write the statement and was unaware of it.
During the investigation Elizabeth Chimienti, Deputy Director for Community Adjustment at the Department of Defense, OLDCC, recalled that the language regarding “board-approved salaries” was in the grant application’s budget justification “from the get go.”
A CDA employee interviewed as part of the investigation also recalled the language being in the initial draft of the application.
Smith provided the investigator with a copy of a Dec. 11, 2023 letter addressed to CDA Board Chair Kim Puzey proposing a motion that would increase his salary to $238,000, and the Assistant to the Executive Director to $130,000.
The investigation showed the OLDCC grant application stated: “Recognizing the OLDCC salary cap of $195,000, the federal funding request will be $123,350 and locally funded match for the grant will be $71,650.”
The OEC voted unanimously to extend the investigation for 30 days since interviews with Smith and CDA board member JD Tovey were not able to be conducted until this past Monday, and the commission wanted those included in the written report before making a decision.
