Neil Goldschmidt

Neil Edward Goldschmidt (born June 16, 1940) is a former politician and businessman living in the State of Oregon and a member of the Democratic Party. He served as mayor of Portland (1973 - 1979) and as governor of Oregon (1987 - 1991).

He was born in Eugene, Oregon, where he attended the University of Oregon. He studied law at the University of California, Berkeley's Boalt Hall until 1967.

As city commissioner (1967 - 1973) and later as mayor of Portland, Goldschmidt led in the revitalization of the downtown section of that city, as well as in the creation of TriMet, and earning much good will from both the electorate and the business community by the time he left to become Secretary of Transportation under president Jimmy Carter in 1979.

Goldschmidt became the first Democratic Governor of Oregon in nearly a decade in 1986. His policy for economic development gained him support in all parts of that state. Citing marital problems, he declined to run for re-election in 1990, despite the widely-held perception that he could have been easily re-elected. His Children's agenda was very important in Oregon with its community initiatives. In 1991, he helped create the Oregon Childrens Foundation, and SMART (Start Making a Reader Today), which puts 10,000 volunteers into Oregon schools to read to children.

In 1991 he founded a law and consulting firm, Neil Goldschmidt, Inc. in Portland. His clients include Schnitzer Investment, Nike, Inc., PacifiCorp, Paul Allen, and Betchel Enterprises (a subsidiary of Bechtel Corporation). He has worked for the State Accident Insurance Fund, which is engaged in an ongoing battle with a competing private insurance company, Liberty Mutual.

Goldschmidt has drawn criticism in recent years for his recent activities. In 2002, he lobbied business and political leaders to support Weyerhaeuser in its hostile takeover of Willamette Industries. In early 2004, he headed a purchase of Portland General Electric funded by Texas Pacific Group, which put on hold city and county studies to acquire by condemnation Portland General Electric.

About a week before a planned article in the local Willamette Week newspaper, Neil Goldschmidt's confirmed allegations in May 6, 2004 that he had engaged in a lengthy sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the mid-1970s, during his first term as mayor of Portland. He subsequently resigned from his positions with the Texas Pacific Group and the Oregon state Board of Higher Education. Political observers believe this relationship was the true reason why he did not run for re-election as governor, nor for a Senate seat.

Further developments revealed that he was helped in keeping this relationship a secret by businessman Robert K. Burtchaell, whom Goldschmidt in turn gave support in Burtchaell's unsuccessful bid to extend a lease for a houseboat moorage on the Willamette River while governor.

Although the statute of limitations has expired for his act of having sex with a minor, the Oregon State Bar began an investigation that could lead to his disbarment, which would prohibit him from practicing law. On Friday, May 14, he announced he was resigning from the state bar, and would be unable to be reinstated. Because of complaints from local media over access to his public papers stored at the Brockman Adams | width="40%" align="center"| Secretary of Transportation | width="30%" align="center"| Succeeded by:
Victor G. Atiyeh | width="40%" align="center"|Governors of Oregon | width="30%" align="center"|Succeeded by:
Barbara Roberts |}