The former head of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) will pay a $1,500 fine after admitting to an ethics violation related to the procurement of a highly sought-after bottle of bourbon.
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission recently approved a settlement in which the former OLCC director agreed to the increased penalty for personally reserving a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, an extremely rare and expensive brand of Kentucky bourbon. The $1,500 fine is triple the amount originally proposed by staff earlier in the process. That initial $500 recommendation was rejected by the commission, which argued it did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the misconduct.
The violation dates back to 2022, when an internal OLCC investigation found that several high-level agency employees had improperly used their positions to obtain rare liquor products for personal use. The director was found to have directed staff to set aside the coveted Pappy Van Winkle bourbon for his own purchase. The bourbon, which can sell for thousands of dollars on the secondary market, is typically released in very limited quantities through a highly competitive public lottery system.
Under Oregon ethics law, public officials are prohibited from using their official positions for personal financial gain or to obtain privileges or exemptions not available to the general public. In this case, the director bypassed the public process that ordinary Oregonians would have to follow to access such products.
The ethics investigation and subsequent penalty mark a notable chapter in a broader controversy that prompted intense public scrutiny of the OLCC’s internal culture and accountability practices. The scandal ultimately led to the director’s resignation and prompted a review of agency policies surrounding product allocation and staff conduct.
In recent meetings, members of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission emphasized that public trust in state agencies depends on fair and transparent operations — particularly when dealing with valuable public commodities. The commission expressed that a more substantial penalty was warranted to deter similar behavior in the future and to reinforce expectations for ethical leadership.
The former director, whose name was included in public commission documents, did not contest the findings of the investigation and accepted the revised fine as part of the settlement. The commission has since closed the case following approval of the new penalty.
The OLCC has since implemented new internal guidelines to ensure that rare and high-demand liquor products are distributed equitably and with oversight. The agency has also provided additional ethics training to staff and management.
The resolution of the case serves as a reminder of the importance of strong ethical standards in public service — especially in agencies tasked with regulating valuable resources on behalf of all Oregonians.