Portland police to pay nearly $700,000 to former official who pushed to defund department

The police union in Portland, Oregon, and two officers have agreed to pay former city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty $680,000 to settle claims that they leaked information falsely implicating her in a hit-and-run1. Hardesty's lawsuit seeking $5 million was scheduled to go to trial this week, and a jury would have been asked to decide if police racially discriminated against Hardesty, the first Black woman to serve as a Portland city commissioner and a staunch advocate for defunding the police in 20201. The city of Portland settled its portion of the lawsuit in August for $5,000 and a written apology from Mayor Ted Wheeler1.

According to Hardesty's lawsuit, filed in late 2021, police union president Brian Hunzeker also leaked the false information to a reporter, characterizing the leaks as racially and politically motivated2. The commissioner spearheaded efforts to defund the police as social unrest rocked Portland in 2020, pushing to reallocate tens of millions of dollars from the Portland Police Bureau's budget2.

The incident has sparked outrage among the public and has been seen as a violation of justice and accountability1. The case highlights the importance of addressing police misconduct and the need to protect public officials from false accusations1.

Key facts:

• The police union in Portland, Oregon, and two officers have agreed to pay former city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty $680,000 to settle claims that they leaked information falsely implicating her in a hit-and-run1.
• Hardesty's lawsuit seeking $5 million was scheduled to go to trial this week, and a jury would have been asked to decide if police racially discriminated against Hardesty, the first Black woman to serve as a Portland city commissioner and a staunch advocate for defunding the police in 20201.
• The city of Portland settled its portion of the lawsuit in August for $5,000 and a written apology from Mayor Ted Wheeler1.
• According to Hardesty's lawsuit, filed in late 2021, police union president Brian Hunzeker also leaked the false information to a reporter, characterizing the leaks as racially and politically motivated2.
• The incident has sparked outrage among the public and has been seen as a violation of justice and accountability1.
• The case highlights the importance of addressing police misconduct and the need to protect public officials from false accusations1.