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PENDLETON -- An Eastern Oregon elected official who is facing accusations of sex crimes claims he is innocent.
The Oregon Department of Justice is investigating Umatilla County District Attorney Dean Gushwa for a possible sex crime. Gushwa temporarily stepped down from his office Thursday after the East Oregonian reported on the investigation.
Gushwa, 53, talked briefly with the Pendleton newspaper earlier in the week, and said a 44-year-old woman made the accusation about an incident she claimed happened eight months ago.
"As I've told everyone, I'm convinced that I will be found innocent of any allegations," Gushwa said. "I trust the system."
Gushwa also said he knew the woman but couldn't say more about the case.
During Gushwa's absence, the Department of Justice is in charge of the Umatilla County District Attorney's Office.
Gushwa said last week that he asked the department to appoint someone to take his place during the investigation. Tony Green, spokesman for the DOJ, said the agency hasn't stationed anyone in Pendleton permanently.
"We are supervising from Salem with regular visits and communications," Green said.
Green also said he couldn't discuss how the DOJ investigates such cases.
"No two criminal investigations are the same," he said. "There are forks in the road every five minutes. There are no typical cases."
Pendleton police took the report of the accusation Aug. 16 and immediately referred the case to the state DOJ, which began looking into it Aug. 18. Aside from that, Police Lt. Bill Caldera said the department is not involved with the investigation.
So far, the state hasn't brought any charges against Gushwa, and Caldera said that's important to keep in mind.
"These are just allegations at this point. That's what people need to know," Caldera said. "He deserves a fair shot just like everybody else."
To bring felony charges, prosecutors in Oregon nearly always present evidence to a grand jury, which determines if evidence is sufficient. If it is, the grand jury issues a criminal indictment.
Green said he couldn't discuss that process or what the DOJ would do if investigators don't find any wrongdoing.
On Jan. 31, Pendleton police responded to an incident involving Gushwa, who was recently divorced, and a woman at Crabby's Underground Saloon in downtown Pendleton. Police also referred that case to the DOJ. Caldera said he understood the justice department found nothing criminal in that instance.
The East Oregonian has asked the state for a copy of that report.
Staff in the Umatilla County District Attorney's Office would not talk about the investigation or how it has affected people who work with Gushwa. Dan Primus, a senior deputy district attorney, said the only comment anyone could give was, "No comment."
Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson worked as a deputy district attorney for Gushwa. He said news of the investigation came as a "complete surprise," and added he knew nothing about the case and described Gushwa as a hard worker and good person.
Gushwa was a deputy district attorney under Christopher Brauer, who voters elected to the Umatilla Circuit Court in 2006. In December 2006, Kulongoski appointed Gushwa to the district attorney's position to succeed Brauer.
Gushwa has been serving in the office since Jan. 2, 2007, and was elected to the office in 2008 after running unopposed. He has made prosecuting sex crimes a top priority of his office.
