No charges filed in wrongdoing probe of ex-Oregon official with marijuana ties

An investigation into potential wrongdoing by a former Oregon secretary of state who took a side job with a marijuana company has been closed with no criminal charges filed.

Federal officials began investigating Shemia Fagan in 2023 after she signed a $10,000-per-month contract with a cannabis company while her office was auditing the state’s oversight of the cannabis industry, according to The Oregonian.

Fagan took a side job in February 2023 with Veriede Holding, an affiliate of Oregon cannabis company La Mota, against the advice of employees in her office who “strongly discouraged her” from doing so, The Oregonian reported, citing a preliminary review by the state’s Government Ethics Commission.

She resigned from the secretary of state’s post, an elected position that paid an annual salary of $77,000, in May 2023.

Fagan’s duties included oversight of Oregon’s Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

Although no federal criminal charges were filed against Fagan, she is still being investigated by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC).

The OGEC, which is looking into whether she violated state ethics rules, also launched an investigation into whether Fagan used taxpayer funds to pay for family vacations.

The commission put its probes on hold until the federal investigation was complete but now plans to discuss Fagan’s cases on May 9, Executive Director Susan Myers told The Oregonian.