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Benton sheriff candidate says he’ll still run

By IAN ROLLINS
For the Gazette-Times

Facing investigations for exaggerating his educational background, Benton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jack Burright said Thursday that he had done nothing wrong.

Burright, 39, is one of two candidates for Benton County Sheriff on the November ballot. Depending on the outcome of any investigations, his candidacy could be in question.

But he doesn’t plan on withdrawing from the race. “There’s no doubt in my mind,” he said. “It’s not an issue.”

Burright acknowledged on Wednesday that he had bought a college degree from Farington University, an uncertified diploma mill. And in at least five applications, Burright indicated that he had graduated from Corvallis High School in 1985 when he had not.

One of those was a 1991 application to the Oregon Department of Public Safety, Standards and Training. Others were with the sheriff’s office on a job application for deputy, then applications when he was promoted to corporal and sergeant. The fifth was his candidate filing last year.

He dropped out of high school during his senior year but he did receive his GED later.

“Did I hit the wrong box in 1999? Possibly,” Burright said. “Maybe I’m guilty of not slowing down, dotting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t.’”

He also pointed out that the sheriff’s office and the Cannon Beach Police Department didn’t have a problem with it when they interviewed him for jobs.

“I passed a background check at the sheriff’s office a long time ago,” he said. “Law enforcement has the best background checks in the business.”

He acknowledged he bought the diploma from Farington University, which is not accredited.

He did not list the phony degree in his filing for the election for sheriff.

But Burright said he has never lied to anyone about the degree’s worthlessness.

Nine months before he purchased the Farington degree, Burright enrolled at Southwest University, a distance-learning school in Kenner, La., to get a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He said that he’s a “couple of classes” away from getting his diploma, which he hopes to attain in June.

Burright also indicated in his filing that he has a “pending” associate’s degree in criminal justice from Linn-Benton Community College. His transcripts from LBCC show that he hasn’t taken classes there since 1991, and that he has not completed the requirements for a criminal justice degree.

Burright faces possible investigations from the county and state Public Safety Department. Norma Buckno with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, Elections Division, said she shared information about possible false statements made by Burright on his candidate filing form with her manager and the director of state elections.

“I haven’t heard anything back,” Buckno said.

The Secretary of State investigates complaints of false statements by candidate if they receive a written complaint.

Libet Hatch, Benton County Human Resources Director, said Thursday morning that no decision had been made yet about an investigation, how long one might take or whether Burright will remain on duty while an investigation takes place.

Burright is running for sheriff against Undersheriff Diana Simpson. Because there are only two candidates, the election will be held as part of the general election this fall, not during the current primary as in Linn County.

Democrat-Herald reporter Ian Rollins can be reached at ian.rollins@lee.net