Love of rare liquor lands Oregon officials in criminal probe

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Justice is opening a criminal investigation into allegations that senior officials in the state’s alcohol regulatory agency violated ethics laws by diverting rare bourbons for personal use. The criminal investigation was announced Friday by the state attorney general. The officials said they were paying for the whiskey, which can cost thousands of dollars a bottle, but they allegedly used their knowledge and connections at the commission to obtain the products, according to an internal investigation by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That practice had purportedly been going on for many years and involved senior agency employees and members of the Oregon Legislature. The officials denied they resold the whiskeys they obtained.