Formal Ethics Complaint Regarding Councilor Angelita Morillo

This week the following complaint was filed following an incident in late January.

Formal Ethics Complaint Regarding Councilor Angelita Morillo

Portland City Ombudsman
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 140
Portland, OR 97204

Oregon Government Ethics Commission
3218 Pringle Road SE, Suite 220
Salem, OR 97302

Oregon Department of Justice
1162 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97301-4096

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon
1000 SW Third Avenue, Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

To the Portland City Ombudsman, Oregon Government Ethics Commission, Oregon Department of Justice, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon:

I am writing as a resident and small business owner in Portland’s District 3 to formally file a complaint concerning the conduct of City Councilor Angelita Morillo and her Chief of Staff, Andre Miller. Based on a pattern of public behavior, I believe their actions violate Portland’s standards for elected officials, raise serious ethical concerns, and may constitute misconduct under city, state, and potentially federal law.

Councilor Morillo regularly uses her personal Instagram account, @PNWPolicyAngel, to engage in commentary about official city business, including constituent outreach, public policy updates, and political discourse. This merging of personal and official activity raises substantial questions about her compliance with record keeping, ethics, and anti-retaliation standards.

Furthermore, Councilor Morillo’s pattern of targeted harassment and public defamation—particularly when directed against a constituent engaging in protected civic activity—may implicate federal protections under the First Amendment, and potentially violate 18 U.S.C. § 242, which prohibits the deprivation of rights under color of law, and 18 U.S.C. § 245, which prohibits interference with federally protected activities. The coordination with a staff member to suppress speech in a public forum further raises constitutional and legal concerns appropriate for review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Summary of Concerns

1. Defamation and Public Retaliation Against a Constituent

On January 25, 2025, I raised concerns on my community news platform, PDX Real, regarding the unexplained removal of city councilors’ contact information from the City of Portland website. I encouraged others to contact the Mayor’s Office.

In response, Councilor Morillo claimed my post was spreading “misinformation” on her official council account here. Her video generated a number of comments from the public who were concerned about the policy.

She subsequently escalated by attacking me personally on her @PNWPolicyAngel account, stating:

“Um. I am begging y’all to follow my city councilor account. Because that’s where I have to post updates about city government business and uh this woman who spends all her time with Proud Boys and harassing women of color who run for office, has decided to boost my account to all of her proud boy affiliate followers and my comments ummm are all filled with people who aren’t here to get actually connected and engage in good faith. It is filled with a bunch people primed to hate people. So if you could follow my other account so I could engage with normal human beings, that would be awesome.”

This video has since been deleted from her account. These comments are false, defamatory, and retaliatory in nature, clearly intended to silence dissent and intimidate a constituent. Public officials should not use their position to slander constituents. In addition to unlawful defamation, Ms. Morrillo likely violated City of Portland Code of Ethics.

2. Use of Personal Social Media for Official Business

Councilor Morillo regularly uses her personal Instagram (@PNWPolicyAngel) to comment on city business and respond to constituent concerns. This creates serious issues related to:
- Public records retention and transparency under the Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.410–192.505).
- Inappropriate conduct under City of Portland Code of Conduct for Elected Officials, which requires clear separation of personal views and official communication.

Her use of a personal platform to attack constituents while disseminating city business violates both the spirit and letter of public accountability standards.

3. Chief of Staff Andre Miller’s Conduct at Public Meeting

At a January 28, 2025 District 3 meeting in SE Portland, I respectfully asked Councilor Morillo whether she regretted her public remarks about me. Andre Miller, seated directly behind me, signaled to the moderator to silence me—despite no breach of decorum. Video evidence supports this.

Mr. Miller:
- Failed to identify himself as city staff.
- Interfered with public comment by a constituent.
- Appeared to use his proximity and authority to intimidate and suppress dissent.

(Mr. Miller has already received two complaints for his conduct at a public safety meeting in late March. That complaint tha

These actions likely were a misused of official position to affect or prevent the participation of the public and violates the City of Portland’s Code of Ethics:

- Leadership 1.03.050 “Leadership facilitates, rather than blocks, open discussion.” - Trust 1.03.020(F) “Citizens have a fair and equal opportunity to express their views to City officials.”
- City of Portland’s Community Engagement Principles, which guarantee meaningful and equitable public participation.

4. Pattern of Harassment and Doxing from Prior Employment

While employed by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty’s office, Ms. Morillo used the same personal account to post multiple videos about me by name—referencing my business, labeling me a NIMBY, and implying I was racist. This resulted in coordinated online harassment, including false reviews and threats. Many of these videos were quietly removed when she later ran for City Council.

This conduct—using a platform of public employment to harass and defame a constituent—is incompatible with the ethical standards required of public servants.

Policy Violations and Findings

1. Public defamation and intimidation of a constituent is unethical and unacceptable conduct for an elected official.
2. Cutting off and silencing constituents during public meetings is an abuse of power.
3. Failing to identify as a city official while engaging in dialogue with the public is deceptive and obstructive.
4. Using personal social media to conduct city business and retaliate against citizens compromises public accountability.
5. There is a documented pattern of personal attacks from Ms. Morillo dating back to her time as a city staffer.

Request for Action

I respectfully request that your offices:
- Open an investigation into the conduct of Councilor Morillo and Mr. Miller under the relevant sections of the Oregon Government Ethics Law and Portland’s Code of Conduct.
- Issue guidance affirming that retaliatory behavior toward constituents violates ethical standards.
- Determine whether Ms. Morillo has failed to comply with public records obligations.
- Provide recommendations or enforce disciplinary actions if findings confirm the violations described above.

If these actions are not addressed through official channels, I am prepared to seek legal recourse to protect my rights and reputation as a private citizen engaging in civic life.

Sincerely,

Angela Todd
Resident, District 3, Portland