The Urban League of Portland, one of the biggest and most established civil rights groups in Oregon, hired Mike Schmidt, the former district attorney for Multnomah County who lost his reelection attempt to an office insider last year, as its general counsel this week.
The move was announced by Schmidt on Thursday. On Monday, he started the work.
Schmidt told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it is truly an honor to be a part of this group at a time when civil rights are being attacked and made headlines every day. He refused to reveal the yearly compensation for his new position.
A request for comment on Thursday was not immediately answered by Nkenge Harmon Johnson, president of the Urban League of Portland.
Last spring, Schmidt lost a grueling and painful race against longtime Multnomah County prosecutor Nathan Vasquez. Schmidt served until the end of the year, completing his tenure.
Fundraising records were broken throughout the event. Schmidt was depicted by Vasquez as a bad leader who ignored the public safety issues in the area.
Schmidt praised his efforts on policies and projects aimed at improving the fairness of the legal system.
Schmidt began practicing law as a prosecutor. After serving in state government, he was chosen to head the state’s biggest prosecuting agency.
Founded in 1945, the Urban League of Portland offers a variety of social services and initiatives across Oregon, with a primary focus on African American residents and other Black community members. According to tax returns, it brought in over $24 million in 2022.
Neither the Urban League’s website nor its most current U.S. Internal Revenue Service 990 form include the general counsel post as one of the staff positions, suggesting that it is a relatively new position.
Criminal justice is the area of expertise for enterprise reporter Noelle Crombie. You can reach her at [email protected] or 503-276-7184.
— Shane Dixon Kavanaugh focuses on accountability and watchdog reporting while covering politics and local administration in Portland. You can contact him at [email protected] or 503-294-7632.
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