Political ties may yield taxpayer boost for private housing developers in Portland
“It’s far from unusual for public officials to assist business people, said Frank Zerunyan, a professor of governance at the University of Southern California. But Runkel’s status as Commissioner Eudaly’s chief of staff and his close ties to Sten may cause the perception of giving an unfair leg-up.
“This is not some janitor who knows a couple of people,” Zerunyan said. “It’s a chief of staff who presumably has a strong influence on decisions his boss makes.””