Oregon lawmakers voted Monday to hire a Portland law firm to handle the Legislature's response to a complaint alleging top Democrats covered up sexual harassment at the Capitol.
Barran Liebman LLP is not to charge more than $100,000 for the work, said Legislative Counsel Dexter Johnson.
The complaint filed earlier this month by fellow Democrat and Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian alleges that House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney failed to act quickly or effectively enough to stop then-Sen. Jeff Kruse from harassing female senators and student interns working in his office.
Kotek and Courtney have said they reacted appropriately and in a timely manner upon learning of allegations against Kruse, a Republican from Roseburg. The Legislature commissioned an investigation and the report released in February confirmed Kruse groped women, including other senators, student interns and a lobbyist, and created a hostile workplace.
Legislative leaders also asked the Oregon Law Commission to recommend by 2019 improvements to the Legislature's procedures for responding to allegations of misconduct, which may require changes to Oregon's Constitution.
The Legislature had asked the Oregon Department of Justice to represent it, but the agency declined because it typically represents both lawmakers and the Bureau of Labor and Industries overseen by Avakian.
-- Hillary Borrud
503-294-4034; @hborrud