Secretary of State Dennis Richardson on Tuesday backtracked on a bid to add security and a driver to his compensation package, citing the potential for abuse "by future holders of this office."

Gov. Kate Brown is currently the only statewide elected official to rate her own driver and security detail, which are provided by the Oregon State Police's Dignitary Protection Unit. But Richardson is the sole Republican in a statewide elected position, and his staff said he faces security threats because of heightened partisan tensions across the country, including in Oregon.

Debra Royal, Richardson's chief of staff, said last week that he had not received any specific threats, but insisted the concern was real, along with the potential for greater efficiency if Richardson was able to continue working while a staffer took over the driving duties when he was out of the office on state or personal business.

Deputy Secretary of State Leslie Cummings wrote to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission in mid-March to see if the move would pass ethical muster. In the letter, she claimed Richardson had the "inherent constitutional authority" to set compensation for everyone in the agency – including the addition of a driver and security services for himself - because statutes give him the power to set rules, policies and procedure necessary for personnel administration in the agency.

The response from Ron Bersin, the executive director of the ethics commission, was fairly straightforward: It's a personal financial benefit, as it would allow Richardson to avoid the financial burden of paying for his own transportation and security. And public officials have a conflict of interest when they make decisions that have a direct financial impact on themselves.

Bersin said that didn't preclude the agency from making the move, but that Richardson would have to declare the conflict, avoid participation in the decision, and the agency would have to specifically approve the additional compensation "in a formal manner."

Richardson set about doing that last week. A statement from Richardson went up on the agency website indicating that "due to new pay equity laws," the agency was performing a review of all staff positions, salaries and benefits "to ensure equity and fairness."

The statement made no mention of the driver or security question, but it directly addressed Bersin's concerns.

"Although as Secretary of State my salary and a portion of my benefits package is set by statute, I will not participate in any discussions or decisions related to those Secretary of State benefits not set by statute.

"In short, I am recusing myself from such discussions to avoid a conflict of interest, and I am providing this public notice to ensure full transparency, integrity, and accountability to the Oregon people."

Richardson apparently had a change of heart this week and decided to walk back the proposal, which he attributed to his staff.

"I appreciate my staff's concern for my safety. However, due to some public comments, it has come to my attention that providing "security" to the Secretary of State could be abused by future holders of this office... I am unwilling to set a precedent that could be abused by a future Secretary who does not prioritize fiscal responsibility like I do. Based on the above concerns, if taxpayer-funded security for the Secretary of State were offered, I would not accept."

- Ted Sickinger

503-221-8505; @tedsickinger