An ethics complaint filed against a Democrat candidate in a critical U.S. Congressional race in Oregon alleges that she engaged in a “willful coverup of a sexual assault of a minor” who volunteered with one of her previous campaigns, something her current campaign denies.
The bombshell complaint against State Rep. Janelle Bynum (D), the Democrat nominee in Oregon’s Fifth U.S. Congressional District who party leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have helped prop up, came to light in a Fox News report.
According to the outlet’s copy of the document, which was filed with the Oregon Legislative Equality Office, the complainant, who is not identified, stated that “an informant” contacted him or her this cycle “with information about Rep. Bynum and her willful coverup of a sexual assault of a minor volunteer who worked for her campaign during the 2022 cycle.”
The alleged perpetrator, whose name is redacted in the document, was a field organizer with FuturePAC, a political action committee for Oregon State House Democrats that aids with staffing local campaigns, Fox News notes.
The complainant states he or she spoke with “two former staff members who confirmed that they reported” the FuturePAC employee’s alleged behavior “directly to Rep. Janelle Bynum” and someone with FuturePAC whose name is redacted “only for nothing to be done.”
They add that “Legislators are mandatory reporters.”
“Bynum received credible information regarding one of her campaign staff sexually harassing and assaulting young volunteers, and not only did she not report it, but she also threatened to report the person who blew the whistle on [redacted] behavior,” the complaint continues.
The complainant, who worked with Bynum in the state house, also said he or she fears retaliation from Bynum.
“During the campaign, I was not in a position to do anything with this information and didn’t want to taint a potential investigation. It has continued to weigh on my conscience so I’m turning it over to the Legislature to deal with internally,” he or she also noted.
In a November 14, 2022, text message reviewed by Fox News, a FuturePAC staffer discussed the need to inform Bynum of the allegations, per Fox News.
Moreover, in a text exchange on November 17, 2022, Bynum was dismissive when a former campaign manager brought up the allegations, according to the report.
“I asked you not to send me anything and I meant that,” Bynum wrote back. “I really can’t take anything else on my plate.”
When the campaign manager indicated days later, on November 21, 2022, that he would report the allegations if nothing were done, Bynum asked if that was a threat. She went on to say she was considering filing a report against the campaign manager.
A spokesperson for Bynum’s campaign contended in a statement to Fox News Bynum is the victim of a smear attempt and said she alerted FuturePAC of the allegations once she learned of them after the 2022 election. Moreover, the campaign added that Bynum assisted the LEO in its probe and said she expected the PAC “to deal with these accusations fairly and swiftly and to ensure their employees’ well-being and safety.”
“If Future PAC did anything less, that is unacceptable,” the campaign added. The spokesperson also provided a September email from the LEO to Bynum stating it is not investigating her.
Sources told Fox News that the accused staffer had an affiliation with FuturePAC over recent years and that the staffer also landed a job with the Oregon State Legislature following the 2022 campaign. FuturePAC did not address these allegations in their statement to Fox News. Sources also told the outlet some at FuturePAC said they would address the allegations after the 2022 election despite allegedly learning of them during the campaign and not after, which the PAC denied.
“To our knowledge, during the 2022 cycle no official complaints that would have triggered [an] investigation under the contract were made regarding the staff assigned to Rep. Bynum’s campaign,” a spokesperson said.
Fox News reports that while the essence and breadth of an Oregon State Police probe are unclear, the complaint has been provided to the agency, which has interviewed individuals about the matter.
The stunning allegations published on Saturday come days after Jeffries praised Bynum on the campaign trail last week.
“It was particularly important for me to have the opportunity to spend some time with Janelle Bynum, because she is the quintessential example of what a member of the House of Representatives and a public servant should be,” he said Wednesday at an event with Bynum, as the Oregon Capital Chronicle noted.
“She’s got the intelligence, the heart, the soul, the integrity and the commitment to represent people in order to make a difference in their lives,” he added.
Before these allegations came to light, Jeffries also aided Bynum financially. Jeffries for Congress gave Bynum’s campaign $4,000 on February 29, 2024, and his leadership PAC, Jobs Education & Families First contributed $10,000 to her the same day.
Other prominent House Democrats who are or have served in leadership, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clarke (D-MA) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a former House majority leader, have also made contributions to Bynum through their leadership PACs.
Bynum’s campaign received two $5,000 donations from Clark’s Fair Shot PAC in March and June, while Hoyer’s AmeriPAC gave Bynum’s campaign $5,000 in February and another $5,000 in May. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan Delbene’s (D-WA) campaign contributed $2,000 to Bynum’s in February, and her leadership PAC, the Evergreen PAC, provided the Bynum campaign with $5,000 in May.
Bynum is running against Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) in what is one of the most competitive House races this cycle. The Decision Desk headquarters and Hill election forecast has the race as the third most competitive out of 435 districts, with a 53 percent chance of it staying Republican as of Tuesday.
The bombshell allegations could reshape the contours of the race.