From records obtained this week by the Grants Pass Tribune, the Oregon Secretary of State has formally accepted and opened a new investigation into now former Josephine County Commissioner Chris Barnett, focusing on alleged false statements submitted in official election documents during the county’s recent recall election. The action represents a separate investigation tied to Barnett’s conduct during the recall process and carries potential legal consequences independent of the election’s outcome.
According to correspondence from the Elections Division of the Oregon Secretary of State, the investigation stems from a detailed complaint alleging that Barnett made factually incorrect statements in a SEL 352 Statement of Justification, a sworn election filing that was printed directly on ballots mailed to voters for the January 6, 2026, special recall election. State officials confirmed that at least one allegation within the complaint met the threshold for investigation under Oregon election law and is now under active review.
The complaint was filed by a concerned Josephine County resident who alleged that Barnett collaborated with former Commissioner Andreas Blech to produce and distribute a written rebuttal to their recall petitions in September 2025. That document, described by its authors as a whitepaper, was circulated publicly and presented as a factual explanation of the commissioners’ actions and performance in office. The complaint contends that the whitepaper...
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