Oregon’s senior care industry is well-known in state politics for its deep pockets and willingness to financially back candidates at every level of government. (1/9)

As the extent of COVID-19 cases and deaths at nursing homes receives more attention, the industry’s political largesse is also attracting scrutiny. (2/9)

Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday disclosed a March 20 $20,000 gift to one of her political action committees from nursing home company Avamere Health Services. The contribution was first reported by @wweek. (3/9)

That was a substantial political contribution even in Oregon’s no-limits campaign finance system. But it was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the senior care industry’s spending on state politics. (4/9)

Avamere is just one member of the industry group Oregon Health Care Association. Its political action committee has spent nearly $1.4 million on both Democratic and Republican political candidates and legislative caucus PACs since 2016. (5/9)

The group also reported spending more than $780,000 on lobbying to kill or pass policy and spending bills before the Oregon Legislature from 2016 to present. (6/9)

Despite early evidence older people are particularly at-risk and a notorious multiple-fatality outbreak at a Seattle-area care facility, Oregon did not release data about positive coronavirus tests and deaths in Oregon nursing homes until the second week in April. (7/9)

It did so only after @Oregonian repeatedly requested the information and had already independently confirmed outbreaks at some of the facilities. (8/9)

So far, roughly half of COVID-19 deaths in Oregon have been among residents of long-term care facilities.

Read the full story: https://trib.al/w495y7H  (9/9)