Republican Committee Illegally Auctioned High-End Bourbon

A bottle of Old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, a 10-year-old, is displayed behind glass doors at a whiskey bar on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo: Damian Dovarganes/AP Images)

The Columbia County Republican Central Committee violated state law by auctioning off rare bottles of Blanton’s and Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, a state investigation has found, the Oregonian reported Tuesday.

The commission, led by chair Traci Brumbles, was investigated by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, which claims fundraisers signed a permit that explicitly prohibited the auction of spirits. Events organized by the committee – called “Bourbon in the Barn” – reportedly raised $35,000 in support of local candidates for sheriff, the county port commission and the Oregon Legislature.

The announcement follows an unprecedented rise in bourbon-related scandals within the state. Last week, the same committee concluded its investigation into six senior officials accused of “diverting” rare liquor for personal use. While that case revolved around liquor obtained from a state lottery, the liquor sold at fundraisers in Columbia County came from Brumbles itself, which owns a state-regulated liquor store in the area, according to the Oregonian.

The fundraising events began in 2022, according to Facebook posts from Brumbles and the committee.

Brumbles was advertising an ‘opportunity to purchase rare copies of Pappy 12 Year, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 11-Year, Stagg Jr. 130.9-Proof and Little Book Chapter 5. In another post, a shelf with 49 bottles was seen. including EH Taylor Jr., WL Weller and Blanton’s, whose resale prices regularly reach into the thousands.

The fundraiser was advertised as a fun get-together with an expert-led bourbon tasting paired with pizza and appetizers. Tickets were sold for $100 each.

According to OLCC records, authorities were alerted to the committee’s events by Drew Layda, a Republican candidate for Oregon’s 31st House District. Layda wrote in a Facebook post celebrating the OLCC findings: “I’m not lying. I expose corruption wherever it hides.”

The investigation now continues with administrative hearings that could result in fines and a suspension of Brumble’s liquor license.

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