PORTLAND, Ore. – Police nemesis and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty has been ordered by a Multnomah County judge to pay a credit card company over $16,000 in overdue debt after failing to show up in court, The Oregonian reported.
Bank of America filed lawsuits against Hardesty’s overpaid dues and fees in November. Last week Circuit Judge Judith Matarazzo issued two default orders, according to court documents.
Hardesty has an annual salary of $125,000 since taking office in 2019, the Post Millennial reported.
Judge Matarazzo approved a $4,900 lien against Hardesty on March 21, and issued a second lien with a penalty of $11,700 on March 24, according to court documents.
Neither Hardesty nor her attorney bothered to appear in court for the hearings.
“I fully intend to pay and have reached out to Bank of America’s attorneys to arrange a payment plan,” Hardesty said in an emailed statement on Tuesday, according to The Oregonian.
Hardesty has long been at odds with police. In 2020 she pushed to cut funds to the Portland Police Bureau and claimed most 911 calls are unnecessary. After her critical comments and political maneuvering, she turned around and called 911 when a Lyft driver tried to cancel her ride and drop her off at a gas station, Law Officer reported.
After being criticized for abusing a system she personally said was overused, she blamed the presence of “white supremacists” for her fear.
During Portland riots in 2020, she made the wild assertion that police were sending in “saboteurs” to create strife. Her unsubstantiated claim drew immediate pushback from law enforcement personnel, which caused her to later backpedal.
