BAKER CITY — An investigator for the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found a “preponderance of evidence” that Baker County Commission Chairman Bill Harvey tried to use his position to benefit himself, his son and his son’s business and that he failed to disclose conflicts of interest last year.

In a report, investigator Susan Myers recommends that the Ethics Commission make a preliminary finding that Harvey committed eight violations of state ethics laws.

The Ethics Commission was initially scheduled to review Myers’ report during its meeting Friday, April 30, but Harvey said he has scheduling conflicts that day.

Myers confirmed that Harvey requested an extension. She said the matter will be added to the Ethics Commission’s June 11 meeting agenda.

Harvey said on Wednesday morning, April 28, that he had not read the investigation report, and that he had meetings scheduled through 7 o’clock that day.

The Ethics Commission voted 6-0 on Nov. 6, 2020, to assign an investigator to look into allegations that Harvey violated ethics laws when the company owned by his son, William S. Harvey, was paid $1,710 to haul boat docks to a county park near Richland.

Baker County District Attorney Greg Baxter filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission on Sept. 16, 2020.

Bill Harvey said on Jan. 4, 2021, that his son did help him move the docks to the county park.

That was the least expensive option, Bill Harvey said.

“It’s normal procedure for me,” he said. “Everything I’ve ever done for the county was to save the county money and get a job done.”

Harvey, who was elected to a four-year term as the only full-time county commissioner in 2014 and reelected in 2018, said he doesn’t believe any of his actions violated ethics laws.

In a Sept. 19, 2020, letter to the Ethics Commission, Harvey wrote that he spent many hours during the spring of 2020, and used his own pickup truck and equipment, to prepare Hewitt and Holcomb parks to open to the public.