Representative Julie Fahey’s key role in destroying the campaign finance reform law passed in 2024 is a continuation of the legacy of treachery that has blocked reform repeatedly since voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2020, paving the way for reform.

In a series of secret meetings, Fahey met with union and business lobbyists, ostensibly to make “technical corrections” to the 2024 law. Despite promises made when the 2024 law was negotiated, representatives from good government groups such as Honest Elections Oregon and the League of Women Voters were excluded from the meetings.

The result was a bill that not only delayed the full effective date of reforms until 2031 but also altered key provisions in ways that allow big money to continue flowing to politicians. The bill passed easily, lawmakers apparently unruffled by the appalling dishonesty of freezing out good government groups while gutting the 2024 law.

Two editorials in the Oregonian/OregonLive and one from ProPublica savaged the action. The Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C. group that advocates for campaign spending limits, weighed in. Jason Kafoury of Honest Elections Oregon testified to the Ways and Means Committee. All pointed out the significant changes to the 2024 law that ensured big money could be spent on Oregon campaigns.

Still, supporters of the changes insisted the new law only made technical corrections. None acknowledged the gutting of the 2024 law. The Oregonian/OregonLive called lawmakers’ comments “gaslighting”. Fahey, in a long email response to me after I expressed my disappointment in her actions, doubled down on the false narrative.

This same corrupt cabal has been playing dirty in campaign finance since voters approved the 2020 constitutional amendment. For three years after the vote, the only action on campaign finance reform was an outrageous and unprecedented disqualification of a ballot measure sponsored by good government groups. In 2022, then-Secretary of State Shemia Fagan ruled the ballot measure invalid on a technicality that had not been enforced in years, but only after waiting so long that the ballot measure could not be corrected and refiled. Public sector unions were Fagan’s biggest campaign contributors when she ran in 2020.

The 2022 governor’s race shattered previous spending records to no one’s surprise. But with the legislature still polluted by money, another year went by with no action on campaign finance.

As we entered 2024, more ballot measures loomed, motivating lawmakers to address the issue again. A bill was initially negotiated with only union and business interests at the table, ensuring they could continue big contributions. At the time, I compared the process to the wolves and the cougars dividing up the sheep. The sheep still get eaten. Nonetheless, the bill was fast-tracked by the House Rules Committee, then co-chaired by Fahey.

Fearing ballot measures by the good government groups, all parties finally got together and agreed on a bill, which subsequently passed the Legislature, hailed as an historic compromise. As part of the agreement, all parties agreed to suspend their ballot measures.

We know now the great compromise was nothing but a cynical delaying tactic by lawmakers and lobbyists to make the threat of ballot measures go away. They would live to fight another day and did so. They clearly had no intention of allowing the law to go into effect.

It’s difficult to understand Fahey’s thinking. Her brazen dishonesty has permanently broken any trust not just between her and good government groups, but between her and voters. That means neither she nor any lobbyists will be included when the good government groups write their next ballot measure, likely a constitutional amendment immune to legislative meddling. It also means the ballot measure will pass overwhelmingly. Voters are fed up with years of delays and dirty tricks by their representatives.

Representative Fahey and her co-conspirators blew their last chance to get on the voters’ bandwagon. Now they are going to get run over by it.