Coordinated Retaliation Exposed: UPTD, ODOT, RLS, Rep. Ed Diehl, and Oregon GOP Caucus Conspire to Breach Contract and Destroy Ben Edtl’s Reputation
“This is full-scale political assassination against me.”
Portland, OR – December 1, 2025 – After I turned around the insolvent Umpqua Public Transit District and refused to certify a fraudulent election, the Oregon establishment launched a full-scale political assassination operation against me.
On December 1, 2025, the true scope of this conspiracy became undeniable. UPTD breached my separation contract in a deliberate, coordinated attack involving the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), their hand-picked contractor RLS, Rep. Ed Diehl, and elements inside the Republican Caucus.
Their goal was crystal clear: smear my name, rewrite the successful history of the UPTD turnaround, and punish the first government official in Oregon history who dared demand election integrity. They produced a fraudulent “review” report packed with distortions and outright lies, then leaked it to friendly media outlets to damage my reputation and change the public record of what actually happened at UPTD.
This wasn’t oversight. This wasn’t a legitimate audit. This was a hit job orchestrated by government insiders who were terrified that my success at UPTD and my leadership on IP37 would expose the rot in Oregon’s entire system. The RLS report was sent to the media prior to the board. The board was notified of this report on December 3, 2025, the day after my deposition. Through a third party investigative journalist, it was discovered that State Rep. Ed Diehl, who is also a candidate for Oregon Governor, knew about this report October 1, 2025. Did he send it to the media prior to official board review?
They tried to erase the facts: that under my leadership UPTD went from insolvent and non-compliant to fully solvent and 100% compliant. They changed historical records to protect their own failures. They conspired with elected officials to destroy a reformer who refused to play their rigged game.
This is how the Oregon machine operates: when you challenge their unsecured elections, they come after your job, your family, and your good name.
But they failed. The truth is coming out, and the people are waking up. This coordinated retaliation is exactly why Oregon cannot and will not prove our elections are secure.
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