Andrea Bell, the director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, filed amended economic disclosures in late September after ProPublica asked why she had not previously named her husband’s employer in annual ethics reports. The disclosure concerns a potential conflict of interest involving her husband, Joshua Crites, who works for a consulting firm that advises housing authorities on projects funded by Bell’s agency.
What the Left Is Saying
Governor Tina Kotek’s office stated that it had not been notified of any potential or actual conflict of interest prior to the recent disclosures. A spokesperson for the governor said that Kotek holds all agency leadership to consistent and high ethical standards and called for a thorough review by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.
Bell stated that she takes concerns about her statement of economic interests seriously and is committed to transparency, accountability, and compliance with state law. She noted that she had sought an advisory opinion from the ethics commission at the governor’s urging and updated her disclosures to provide clarity.
What the Right Is Saying
Russell Lehman, a retired administrative law judge who served on Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission, stated that Bell appeared to have violated the law, even if she later corrected the omission. Lehman emphasized that the timing of the disclosure—triggered by a reporter’s inquiry rather than internal review—raised questions about the agency’s compliance culture.
Lehman said he would want to know why it took a reporter asking about it to have Bell file her reports. Three former officials familiar with state ethics laws told ProPublica that the lack of disclosure warranted a review to determine if Bell influenced any government decisions that benefited her husband’s company.
What the Numbers Show
Oregon Housing and Community Services has handed developers more than $1.4 billion in state funding to build rent-restricted apartments over the last five years. The agency also allocates federal tax credits to reduce developers’ costs so they can charge lower rents.
Bell’s husband, Joshua Crites, works as a director for the consulting firm JH Brawner, which helps local housing authorities develop subsidized apartment projects. JH Brawner’s Oregon work includes consulting on two housing authority projects that applied for or were awarded tens of millions of dollars collectively from Bell’s agency since Crites started working for the company in 2023.
The Bottom Line
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is expected to review the matter following the governor’s office’s call for an evaluation. The outcome of this review will likely determine whether Bell’s initial disclosures constituted a violation of state ethics laws and what remedial actions, if any, are required.
The case serves as a reminder of the strict disclosure requirements for state officials with family members in industries regulated or funded by their agencies. Neither Bell nor JH Brawner responded to requests for comment on whether Bell played a role in agency decisions regarding projects her husband’s firm worked on.