Multnomah County Sheriff Does Not Have Confidence of Deputies Union

A decision by the state Department of Justice not to pursue criminal charges against Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton does not matter to the patrol deputies union, which issued no confidence vote against the sheriff Monday.

The union accuses Staton of leading "ruthlessly and unpredictably through fear nd favoritism."

On Friday, the state Department of Justice had released a statement saying they found no cause to pursue charges against the sheriff.

"We have concluded that the sheriff engaged in no criminal conduct in relation to the four areas of allegations under review," The chief of the criminal division, Michael Slauson, wrote in a letter to Multnomah County Commission Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury and District Attorney Rod Underhill.

The two had requested the investigation in early February after allegations surfaced that Staton had implied that he had had members of a commission investigated.

There were also allegations that he had threatened violence, created a hostile work environment, and that he had offered to promote a union official in an attempt to block a no confidence vote from the union.

The other union representing a group of sheriff's office employees - the one presenting correction officers - has not called for Staton to resign.