Salem Reporter is suing Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell after she did not respond to a public records request for nearly six months, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday, June 24, in Marion County Circuit Court.

The suit asks a judge to order Bethell and the county to turn over emails and texts related to an ongoing state ethics investigation into the commissioner.

Salem Reporter also seeks reimbursement of its legal costs. Attorney Steve Wilker of Portland firm Tonkon Torp represents the news organization. Salem Reporter is both the plaintiff in this case and the outlet that reported the lawsuit.

"A lawsuit is never the preferred course because it is terribly expensive," Salem Reporter editor and founder Les Zaitz said. "But the commissioner left us no choice (but) to act on behalf of the people of Salem and Marion County."

Bethell, one of three commissioners overseeing Marion County's $791 million budget for fiscal year 2025–26, did not respond to Salem Reporter's requests for comment before the outlet's June 25 publication deadline. Commissioners Colm Willis and Kevin Cameron, County Counsel Steve Elzinga, and county spokesman Jon Heynen also did not respond.

The dispute began January 28 when Zaitz asked Bethell for texts, emails, and memos about a December 2024 traffic stop involving her daughter. The request specifically sought communications between Bethell and Sheriff Nick Hunter, Elzinga, Willis, and Cameron, including records on her personal devices.

Bethell never responded. Elzinga emailed Zaitz on February 3 to acknowledge "requests to Marion County" and provided one record, but did not clarify whether he represented Bethell individually. Zaitz replied the same day, clarifying his request was directed at Bethell personally.

On February 23, Zaitz emailed Bethell again, warning her silence "blunts the public's ability to monitor your performance as a public body in Oregon."

On April 1, Zaitz appeared in person before the Board of Commissioners to publicly ask Bethell to meet her disclosure obligations. Bethell was present. She remained silent.

Zaitz then petitioned Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson on May 28 for a review. On June 1, the DA's office denied the petition, citing a state statute that strips district attorneys of authority over elected officials' records disputes and directs requesters to circuit court.

Under Oregon law, public bodies must acknowledge records requests within five business days and generally produce records within 10 more business days. A 2022 Oregon Court of Appeals ruling established that elected officials are individually responsible for responding to requests sent directly to them, according to Salem Reporter's complaint.

Under ORS 192.427, when an elected official claims the right to withhold records, the requester's only remedy is to seek injunctive or declaratory relief in circuit court. That is the path Zaitz ultimately took.

The records Zaitz sought relate to an Oregon Government Ethics Commission investigation into whether Bethell used her position to try to get her daughter out of a traffic citation. Deputy Ron Cereghino stopped Natalie Bethell on December 31, 2024, for using a phone while driving.

In his ethics complaint, Cereghino wrote that "Commissioner Bethell began telling me what I was and wasn't going to do in regards to her daughter's citation/court appearance."

An October 2025 preliminary report by the ethics commission found it "appears that Danielle Bethell attempted to use her position to avoid having her daughter cited for traffic violations." The commission opened a full investigation, which remains ongoing.

Bethell ran unsuccessfully for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the May 19 primary, receiving 2.2% of the vote. Her campaign touted her commitment to accountability. She once wrote to the ethics commission: "I work very hard to be transparent."

No hearing date has been scheduled. Residents can follow the Marion County Circuit Court docket for updates on the case.