BEN EDTL FILES TORT CLAIM NOTICE AGAINST UMPQUA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT: RETALIATORY AMBUSH, DEFAMATORY SMEARS, AND SEVERANCE BREACH AFTER HISTORIC ELECTION CERTIFICATION REFUSAL
Coordinated conspiracy between the Oregon Secretary of State, ODOT, Rep. Ed Diehl, the new UPTD Board members, RLS, and Willamette Week aimed at destroying the personal and professional reputation of election fraud whistleblower, tank IP37
Tualatin, OR – May 29, 2026 – Ben Edtl, former CEO of the Umpqua Public Transportation District who led its turnaround to full compliance and the first Oregon government official in history to refuse to certify election results over integrity concerns, today served formal notice of a tort claim against UPTD for a calculated campaign of retaliation that included producing a false and defamatory RLS compliance report, leaking it to the media, and then stealing his contractually owed severance payments.
The May 29, 2026 Notice of Tort Claim lays out how Edtl's protected whistleblower activity of refusing to certify the May 2025 special election results for Director Position 4, which led to the Vaughn v. Loomis lawsuit and exposed mass election fraud in Southern Oregon. His bold and courageous actions standing up for the taxpayers of Oregon triggered an all-out assault by a corrupt political machine determined to shut him down financially, reputationally and sabotage his leadership on election integrity, including his role as a Chief Petitioner of IP37.
While the Oregon Secretary of State’s office continues an open investigation on him personally, UPTD and members of the Republican legislative caucus conspired with ODOT to produce and publish false fraud claims in attempt to destroy his career as a CEO and political leader in Oregon. The core injury is carried by federal §1983 claims for stigma-plus deprivation of liberty without due process and First Amendment/whistleblower retaliation for his protected refusal to certify the May 2025 election results, together with state-law claims for breach of the separation agreement and its implied covenant, defamation per se/false light, intentional infliction of emotional distress, tortious interference, and civil conspiracy.
Key facts from the claim:
On December 2, 2025, during his deposition in the election contest at Davis Wright Tremaine in Portland, Edtl was ambushed with a copy of the RLS report – a document he had never seen and was given zero opportunity to rebut. That same day, Willamette Week reporter Nigel Jaquiss emailed him seeking comment. On December 8, Jaquiss and Willamette Week published the smear, heavily featuring false allegations about a D.C. trip and severance package.
On December 1, 2025 – the day before the deposition ambush – UPTD notified Edtl that all remaining severance payments under the fully executed Separation and Release Agreement would stop immediately. UPTD had already breached the agreement by failing to pay the September COBRA premium (forcing Edtl to pay out of pocket) and shorting subsequent payments.
The RLS on-site review (September 24-25, 2025) deliberately excluded Edtl. New board members Natasha Atkinson (holder of the contested seat) and Jeana Beam participated. State Representative Ed Diehl requested early access to draft materials, and the final report was rushed to him the same day it was dated, November 25, 2025 – all without Edtl ever having a chance to respond.
This followed a pattern: ODOT Compliance Officer David Campbell's repeated interference, false reports, and leaks from the beginning; new board member Bill Hagedorn's public threats to Edtl's employment; and a manipulated December 17, 2025 Profit & Loss report using an outdated 2023 template with a 2025 header in a transparent attempt to justify non-payment of severance.
Damages
Economic damages (special) are led by two primary categories:
Lost earning capacity: A published false “fraud” compliance finding is categorically disqualifying for the executive, public-sector, and fiduciary roles that defined Edtl’s earning power. Measure: pre-injury executive earning trajectory versus realistic post-injury earnings, projected over remaining work-life and present-valued.
Business / enterprise loss: Edtl founded PolitogyVRM to provide grassroots Republican campaigns access to sophisticated voter data and campaign tools lost revenue, lost pipeline, and diminished enterprise value due to the reputational hit. The false report, amplified by Willamette Week directly to Republican campaigns, is Edtl’s core customer.
Breached severance: approximately $29,333–$32,329 plus statutory pre-judgment interest from December 1, 2025.
COBRA / healthcare losses: roughly $3,000+, including September out-of-pocket coverage and the malicious October shortfall.
Non-economic damages include severe emotional distress and reputational harm (defamation per se — the statements directly attack Edtl’s competence and integrity in his profession). Punitive damages are sought against individual actors for conduct undertaken with the requisite culpable intent. Attorney fees and costs are recoverable under 42 U.S.C. § 1988. The aggregated damage range is $2.5M - $7M+.
“They produced, published and leaked a false government 'fraud' report in attempt to destroy my professional and political career after stealing the severance they contractually owed me because I did the RIGHT thing and refused to certify a blatantly stolen election,” Edtl said. “This was a political assassination attempt on my reputation and my ability to fight for the People of Oregon. They wrecked IP37 and hurt every Oregonian in the process. But they kicked the wrong tiger. The truth ages well, and accountability is coming for every single one of them.”
Edtl is demanding full compensation for all economic and non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, and is prepared to litigate vigorously if UPTD and the individuals and entities who participated in this retaliation conspiracy do not make this right immediately. He is also calling on media and oversight bodies to investigate the real corruption: how a compliance review was weaponized, why the subject was excluded from any input, and the role of political actors like Rep. Ed Diehl in accelerating and amplifying the smear.
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Ben Edtl is available for interviews and comment. Call or text: (503) 319-5976.
About Benjamin C. Edtl
Benjamin C. Edtl is the CEO of Politogy VRM, a conservative voter relationship management and campaign technology platform, and Chief Petitioner of Oregon IP37, the initiative petition to end universal vote-by-mail, require photo ID, and mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration. He previously served as Interim CEO (appointed October 2024) and permanent CEO (April 2025) of the Umpqua Public Transportation District, where he led a dramatic turnaround from insolvency and compliance failures to full compliance and nearly $600,000 in savings before resigning in August 2025 pursuant to a severance agreement that UPTD later breached.
