03/05/2008

Associated Press

The former president of the Regional Maritime Security Coalition wrote a memo in which he said he was threatened by state Sen. Betsy Johnson after declining to provide her with private computer files, a newspaper reports.

Ronald Tammen, a Portland State University official, wrote the memo based on a meeting with Johnson in which she sought records from the computer hard drive of the maritime group's executive director, Peter Williamson.

An excerpt of the memo was made public in response to a request by The Oregonian newspaper under the state's public records law.

According to the newspaper, Tammen wrote that Johnson made a "threat" against the maritime group and issued a warning to any organization associated with Williamson.

Tammen did not give Johnson the files.

Johnson, D-Scappoose, considered running for governor in 2010 until she admitted violating state ethics laws by failing to properly disclose a land deal that earned tens of thousands of dollars.

Johnson, through her attorney, confirmed in January that the FBI has her under investigation. People familiar with the FBI's inquiry say it focused in part on Johnson's involvement in development around the Scappoose airport.

Williamson is the former executive director of the Port of St. Helens, where Johnson once served as a port commissioner. The two have clashed over development plans around the airport, which the port owns.

On Oct. 26, Johnson and attorney Greg Chaimov visited Tammen, who was then the president of the security coalition and director of the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at PSU.

During the meeting, Chaimov said, Johnson said Williamson had been making disparaging comments about her. Johnson wanted the security group to give her any files on Williamson's hard drive at the maritime group that mentioned Johnson by name.

In his memo, Tammen wrote that Johnson said "she would do everything in her power to protect herself (from Williamson's accusations) and that anyone or any organization associated with (Williamson's) effort should be so warned."

"Since I took this as a threat to (the maritime coalition)," Tammen wrote, "I again indicated that our nonprofit had nothing to do with any of these allegations."

Chaimov denied that Johnson made any threats. "I am perplexed by professor Tammen's reaction to the meeting," Chaimov said. "I can't think of anything that was said that could lead him to believe there was a threat of any kind."

Johnson's attorney, Stephen Houze, said the senator would not comment.

Tammen stepped down as president of the maritime group three days after the meeting, saying that doing so would help protect both the maritime group and the university.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com