SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted 8-0 on Thursday to launch a full investigation into possible violations of four public meetings law statutes by Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall.

Hall, who serves as chair of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, was among those named in an earlier preliminary review of claims that county officials approved exemptions to a hiring freeze through private email votes rather than in meetings open to the public.

Commission investigators described a series of electronic votes dating to early summer. The county had imposed the hiring freeze to address a $4 million budget shortfall. According to staff reports, county officials received a warning on Sept. 19, 2025, that the practice appeared to violate state law. The approvals reportedly continued into October.

Hall’s case, initially listed as Item 9 on the commission’s Oct. 10, 2025, executive session agenda, was removed without explanation. It did not appear on the Nov. 14 agenda. The commission did not respond to requests for details on the delay. Commissioners Casey Miller and Walter Chuck testified during the October session regarding their own cases.

Hall did not attend Thursday’s meeting. The commission proceeded directly to the vote without public discussion.

Hall has not attended county meetings in person since sustaining an injury in August that required hospitalization. Participation has occurred remotely via Zoom with the camera off. Commissioner Chuck has presided over board meetings during this period.

The probe adds to ongoing scrutiny of Hall’s leadership amid persistent financial concerns at the county, including repeated audit findings on internal controls that have lingered across multiple administrations, with Hall cited as a consistent figure in those reviews. Lincoln County remains without a permanent administrator. The board voted on Nov. 5, 2025, to reappoint Hall to the acting role, but that appointment ended hours later with the naming of Human Resources Director David Collier as replacement.

In a separate development, a petition to recall Hall from office advanced after the Lincoln County Clerk’s office verified sufficient signatures. Organizers submitted more than 4,800 signatures on Nov. 3, 2025 — as previously reported by the Boiler Bay Beacon — and the clerk confirmed 3,945 valid signatures on Dec. 2, 2025, meeting the required threshold of 3,940.

Hall did not resign following the verification, paving the way for a special recall election scheduled for mid-January 2026. Ballots are expected to be mailed to registered voters by late December 2025.

For prior coverage:

Hall Recall Petition Delivered to Clerk

CLERK RULES RECALL WILL MOVE FORWARD

The ethics commission’s case against Hall, numbered 25-423PCF, cites possible violations of Oregon Revised Statutes 192.630(1), 192.630(2), 192.640(1) and 192.650(1), as well as Oregon Administrative Rules 199-050-0015(4) and 199-050-0055. The matter stems from a broader review of the county board’s practices.