PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — An advocacy group’s summit was kicked out of a Portland city building Friday after councilors learned it broke the law to have them there.
The Gray Panthers originally said the summit would feature speakers including Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), with topics touching on the current impact of the Trump administration. But additions to the speaker list were the problem.
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In January, Panthers coordinator Lew Church reached out to Councilman Sameer Kanal, asking him to sponsor the group in order to host a summit in the Portland Building. Kanal’s team said he agreed, paying a little more than $1,000.
But one day before the event, Kanal’s team said they learned candidates running for elected office were asked to speak. According to a memo from the City Attorney’s Office , Oregon law prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars and resources on a campaign event, so they pulled the plug…