The political organization known for its aggressive billboards says its election law violation had 'nothing to do' with decision. Another investigation is still active. by Courtney Vaughn Updated: 9:20 am A short-lived political advocacy organization that ruffled feathers with downtown billboards targeting elected officials is reportedly calling it quits. As first reported by The Oregonian, People For Portland is shuttering its organization and its associated activities. That announcement comes six months after the state deemed the group violated Oregon election law in 2022 for failing to properly register its political expenditures with the Secretary of State. A separate investigation into People For Portland’s activity in 2023 is ongoing. The group told the Mercury Monday morning that the investigations had "nothing to do with" the decision to shut down. People For Portland marched onto the political scene in 2021 denouncing the region’s leaders and the general state of the city. The group was founded by political consultants and public relations specialists Dan Lavey and Kevin Looper. The advocacy group's initial business filings listed a Salem address. The latest documents list Lake Oswego as the principal place of business. In a lengthy message posted to the group's website, Lavey and Looper said their work helped pushed local elected leaders into action. "If nothing else, piercing the denial of reality and empowering others to break the conspiracy of silence, may be the most important legacy of People for Portland," the message reads. "Our job has always been to channel your frustration into positive action to drive change." People For Portland managed to catalyze a swath of Portlanders who were disillusioned with the city in the aftermath of a pandemic that coincided with racial justice protests, rising housing costs, increased homelessness, and a fentanyl scourge. The group started soliciting donations to fuel its political ads while insisting it never took money for the purpose of supporting or opposing specific candidates—a claim that shielded them from disclosing large expenditures to the state. But it didn’t take long for the organization to come under fire. As People For Portland ramped up its public critiques and fundraising—including a series of Facebook ads that appeared online in 2022—questions loomed about who was funding the group. The organization registered as a non-profit public benefit corporation with the state, not a political action committee (PAC). That meant the majority of those funding People For Portland were never made public—though a few of its wealthy benefactors, including Jordan Schnitzer, Greg Goodman, and Tim Boyle of Columbia Sportswear have admitted to supporting the organization.  The group’s activity triggered a complaint to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office in March 2022 from the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. UFCW Local 555 asserted People For Portland should have registered as a political entity and recorded its social media ad buys with the state as independent political expenditures, in line with Oregon election codes. The ads in question stated local leaders were failing the public, especially when it came to public safety. They featured the images of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Gov. Kate Brown, Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, and Deborah Kafoury, who chaired the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners at the time. Mike Selvaggio of UFCW claimed the ads were clearly a “communication in support of or in opposition to a clearly identified candidate or measure," which requires campaign finance disclosures to be filed with the state. There are additional considerations for political activity that occurs 60 days from an election in which one or more of the mentioned candidates is on the ballot. The SoS agreed, in part. Two years later, in March 2024, the state agency notified People For Portland that the group violated Oregon election law “by failing to file campaign finance transactions as an Independent Expenditure Filer.” "Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, People for Portland engaged in activity that required them to register as an Independent Expenditure Filer and file detailed campaign finance transactions for qualifying activity that occurred," Swan Lubbers, a campaign finance investigator for the state, wrote in a determination letter. Lubbers ordered People For Portland to register as an independent expenditure filer and declare any qualifying transactions. In a response, People For Portland insisted the organization doesn’t advocate for the support or opposition of any candidates, and doesn’t accept funds for those purposes. Instead, Lavey and Looper told the state their organization was a “platform and voice for Portlanders to take grassroots action to advance our shared community values.” Lavey and Looper said their group “shares information related to homelessness, trash clean up and police accountability with the goal of getting current elected officials to take action on those issues.” Perhaps more telling was an acknowledgement from People For Portland’s operatives that the group was purposefully registered as a 501(c)(4) instead of a PAC “so individuals could participate in activities, without being publicly identified unless they wished to identify themselves.”  Reached by phone Monday, Lavey downplayed the investigations as "harassment" from detractors. “We’ve had multiple harassment complaints filed against us since we began," Lavey said. The state could fine People For Portland up to $1,000 for each violation. Lavey said he isn't aware of any civil penalties assessed to the group, but said any fines the group incurred have been minimal. Records show the group has since disclosed one independent expenditure of $1,065 in February 2021 for a Facebook ad opposing Lynn Peterson, the Metro Council president. A Ramped Up Campaign In spring and summer of 2023, after soliciting funding to advance its political messaging, People For Portland launched a more aggressive campaign. In April of that year, a billboard included a photo of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt with the phrase “Portland is a Schmidt Show.” The dark money group paid for a similar billboard a few months later, this time critiquing Schmidt and Multnomah County Board Chair Jessica Vega Pederson alongside images of wind-up chattering mouth toys. The sign included incendiary, if not factually-challenged claims of the two elected leaders "encouraging drug addiction" and keeping "murderers on the streets." The billboards sparked dialogue, as well as a new state complaint. In 2023, complainants Seth Woolley and James Ofsink wrote to the Oregon Elections Division alleging Looper and Lavey should have registered People For Portland as a political committee filing independent expenditures. They identified People For Portland as a "dark money political organization primarily intervening in candidate elections" and cited the recent billboard ads as evidence of violations. Woolley and Ofsink stated they were also notifying the IRS, “alleging that People for Portland’s primary activity is not for social benefit and is instead focused primarily on intervening in candidate Elections.” The SoS Office confirmed to the Mercury in August that the 2023 complaint is still under investigation. Looper also made headlines in 2023 when he and his consulting firm were included on a list of businesses being sued by the city of Portland for not paying taxes. ‘Help Us Buy a Billboard’ “Will you help us continue to hold the DA accountable for his failed policies and leadership? Help us continue to push for action and change now to rescue our broken city?” a December 2023 email from People For Portland asked, soliciting funds. “Please make a year-end donation to help us keep the Schmidt Show billboards starring in neighborhoods near you.” At the time, the group was still soliciting donations for the billboard ads, despite two active state investigations against them. The following year, in the May primary election, Schmidt lost his reelection bid for DA. State records show People For Portland filed for dissolution of its corporation in late August. Lavey declined to say what will happen with any remaining funds in the group's coffers.