PORTLAND, Ore. β Embattled Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton is giving up his nearly $34,000 car after the vehicle was found to have been bought outside normal county procedure.
Staton told The Oregonian/OregonLive Wednesday the Dodge Charger will go to a "first responder," in what he called an "appropriate use of taxpayer dollars."
The county fleet department had said last June it couldn't afford to replace Staton's car with a more expensive model. The sheriff's office then used discretionary funds from its own $135 million budget.
Staton recently said he wasn't aware the purchase had deviated from department protocol.
The Oregon Department of Justice recently completed an investigation of the sheriff prompted by allegations that he created a hostile work environment. Staton was cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
