A state agency investigating Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto says he may have lied about questions raised by his 1980s supervisors when they inquired into rumors he was having an affair with the former wife of Neil Goldschmidt.

Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto. (KGW Photo)

The Oregonian newspaper reported Saturday that the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training has notified Giusto that a second investigation into his fitness to be a police officer turned up new information about his conduct when Goldschmidt was governor and Giusto was his State Police bodyguard.

The agency said Giusto told The Oregonian in 2004 that he was never confronted by his superiors about a possible affair. But in October, The Oregonian reported that two top state police commanders had confronted Giusto about the rumors.

 More: Giusto claims he never lied to public about Goldschmidt abuse

The agency wrote to Giusto, "You may have violated the established moral fitness standards for Oregon public safety officers by stating to Oregonian reporters that no one in state police command had ever questioned you about your affair with Margie Goldschmidt and that your transfer out of the Goldschmidt security detail was unrelated to the affair."

Reg Madsen and his successor as State Police deputy superintendent, Ron Howland, said they asked Giusto, who denied an affair.

"He just denied everything," Madsen told the newspaper. "Why, he swore on his mother's grave there was nothing to it."

Giusto has denied earlier allegations from the agency that he may have lied to the public about his knowledge of Neil Goldschmidt's sexual abuse of a teenage girl when he was Portland mayor in the 1970s. Giusto has until Jan. 14 to respond to the latest notice.

"It's just more of the same," said Lt. Bruce McCain, a member of Giusto's staff who also acts as his attorney. "It's a last gasp effort to salvage a failing case."

McCain said Giusto won't undergo questioning about the new allegation: "The sheriff is not going to discuss Margie Goldschmidt."

McCain protested the agency's use of the word "affair," which he said has "never really been established. Nor will it be."

Margie Goldschmidt earlier told state investigators that she wouldn't discuss her relationship with Giusto, saying it was a private matter.