What’s Going on at the La Pine Activity Center?
This past weekend, quite the brouhaha erupted over a post published by the La Pine Activity Center (LPAC) on its Facebook page in honor of “Downs Syndrome Day”.
What seems to have agitated folks was a picture included in the post, and since removed, showing Sheriff Candidate Captain William Bailey wearing his political campaign attire while sitting in, of all places, a golf cart with his arm around a young man with Downs Syndrome.
In fact, we had several individuals separately contact us about this post which of course piqued our interest. So, we spent a little time researching the issue.
What we discovered went FAR beyond LPAC’s Facebook post honoring Down’s Syndrome Day; however, let’s first address the photo which started all the fuss.
We can see how the folks who contacted us might have been upset. Whether it was done intentionally or not, the photograph could be seen as exploiting a young man with Downs Syndrome for political purposes.
That said we would point out the picture was not in fact taken for this year’s Downs Syndrome Day. Our investigation shows the same picture was used in a post published by LPAC on their Facebook page on August 24, 2023, celebrating their senior picnic event.
In addition, the photo was also used in a post published on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page on August 25, 2023, celebrating his attendance at LPAC’s senior picnic.
Why LPAC would reach 7 months into the past for a photograph of William Bailey, especially one of him clearly campaigning for election at the LPAC summer senior picnic, and publish it as part of their 2024 Down Syndrome Day Facebook post seems very strange to us.
Surely LPAC could have used or taken a more recent and appropriate photograph for its Downs Syndrome Day Facebook post?
As we continued our investigation, we noticed something equally curious.
As of the time of the publication of this article, LPAC has frequently commented and reacted (liked, loved etc..) to content posted to the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page, but has NEVER commented or reacted to any content posted on the “Kent Vander Kamp for Deschutes County Sheriff” page (William Bailey’s political opponent).
As we will discover, this is true even in cases when near identical content was posted on each page.
PICNIC IN THE PARK
LPAC’s first public interaction with the “William Bailey for Sheriff” campaign occurred on August 20, 2023, barely a month after Bailey declared his candidacy for Sheriff.
On that day Jamie Smith Donahue, LPAC’s Executive Director, added a comment to a post published on the Central Oregon’s Veterans Ranch Facebook page in which Bailey was pictured wearing a Bailey for Sheriff” polo shirt. In her comment Donahue wrote:
“I would like to invite William Bailey for Sheriff yo [sic] our Senior Pinic [sic] this Thursday at Cascade Meadows Camp between 10- noon. La Pine Activity Center”
To be clear, there is nothing at all wrong with Ms. Donahue inviting a political candidate to speak at LPAC, so long as several strict guidelines are followed, guidelines we will cover a little later.
On August 25, Captain William Bailey published a post on his official campaign Facebook page about his time spent at the LPAC Senior Picnic. This post included the now contentious picture. This post was “Loved” by LPAC.
We think this interaction with the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page started LPAC on a precarious path. A path which, as we will discover, may well have put them into some legal hot water.
LPAC also published a post to its Facebook page celebrating the senior picnic. This post included 37 photographs. 5 of which were of Captain Bailey and 3 of which were of a Lieutenant Joe DeLuca who was dressed in his Sheriff’s Office Uniform and appeared to be on duty.
Lieutenant DeLuca will become important to our story.
HOW ABOUT A SLICE OF PUMPKIN PIE?
On October 25, 2023, Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp announced his candidacy for Deschutes County Sheriff.
On November 16, 2023, Captain William Bailey was invited by LPAC to serve Thanksgiving Lunch at La Pine Activity Center.
We know this because on November 17, a post was published on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page which included photographs of Bailey wearing a campaign vest and serving pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce to senior citizens at the La Pine Activity Center.
In the background of these photographs was Lieutenant Joe DeLuca who was clearly on duty in his Sheriff’s Office uniform.
LPAC would both post a comment on the above post thanking Bailey for helping serve meals to the seniors as well as “Love” the post
From what we can ascertain from public sources, Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp was NOT invited to participate at this event by LPAC. Whether Vander Kamp was invited to participate behind the scenes, only his campaign can answer.
What we find concerning about this event is that to our minds it places potentially vulnerable and easily influenced individuals in a position where they could be impressed to vote a certain way in the upcoming election. Specifically, by serving food in his campaign attire, captain Bailey could be seen in a caring, empathetic and likable light.
DIRECT SUPPORT FOR THE BAILEY CAMPAIGN.
LPAC is also a regular visitor to the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page where it posts numerous reactions and comments are posted by LPAC to the various published posts on the page.
Some of the posts to which LPAC reacts are without question highly political ones.
At the time of the publication of this article LPAC has not once commented on or reacted to content on the “Kent Vander Kemp for Deschutes County Sheriff” Facebook Page.
In the interests of time and space we will provide three examples below:
On March 12, 2023, a post was published on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook in which Bailey laid out his campaign strategy and appealed to supporters to donate to his campaign. This post was “loved” by LPAC
On November 22, 2023, On a post was published on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page in which was included a photograph of Bailey working on what appears to be campaign paperwork. The post was a political post thanking supporters and friends. This post was “loved” by LPAC.
On February 23, 2024, a post was published on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page where candidate Bailey announced his participation in the “First Sheriff’s Candidate Forum” to be held in Sunriver. LPAC “liked” this post.
Of note is a nearly identical post published on the “Kent Vander Kamp for Deschutes County Sheriff” Facebook page on February 15, almost a week prior to Bailey’s post. LPAC had no reaction to Vander Kamp’s post.
WHY?
Why would LPAC show such one sided support for Captain William Bailey’s election bid for Sheriff and why would it be so dismissive of his opponent Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp?
On LPAC’s board of directors of LPAC is one Joe DeLuca whom we mentioned on several occasions in this article.
DeLuca is a Lieutenant with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office where he reports DIRECTLY to Captain William Bailey.
It is well known that Bailey and DeLuca are very close associates both professionally and personally. It is not uncommon for Bailey to drive down to La Pine and spend hours in DeLuca’s office at the Sheriff’s Office La Pine substation
In addition, Bailey and DeLuca are known to socialize outside of the Sheriff’s Office — For example by going hunting together.
Given such close ties and connections between DeLuca and Bailey, it is not unreasonable to question whether DeLuca is using his position on LPAC’s board to influence LPAC’s support for William Bailey’s election campaign.
Regardless, it is hard for us to believe it is just simple coincidence for DeLuca to be a LPAC board member and for LPAC to so blatantly support Bailey’s election bid.
As an aside, we have in the past written extensively about DeLuca — most recently about a grievance brought against him by the much-respected Sergeant Jay Minton for bullying, retaliation, and intimidation.
(We have provided links to the articles we have written about DeLuca at the bottom of this article)
LEGAL TROUBLES
We believe LPAC may be in some potentially serious legal trouble. We will explain why.
The La Pine Activity Center is dba (doing business as) for “La Pine Senior Center, Inc.” which is itself a non-profit registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
501(c)(3)s are strictly prohibited by the IRS from direct or indirect political activity. Per the IRS:
“Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office”
In addition, while a 501(c)(3) can invite a candidate to speak at an organization event the organization must take steps to ensure that:
- It provides an equal opportunity to participate to all political candidates seeking the same office;
- It doesn’t indicate any support for or opposition to any candidate (including candidate introductions and in communications concerning any candidate’s attendance); and
- No political fundraising takes place.
As best we can tell from public sources and at the time of the writing of this article, LPAC has not only failed to invite Bailey’s opponent Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp to any event hosted by LPAC, but it has also never publicly reached out to Vander Kamp nor reacted or commented to any content posted to the “Kent Vander Kamp for Deschutes County Sheriff” Facebook page.
To the contrary, and as we have shown, LPAC has repeatedly affirmed its support of William Bailey by commenting on or positively reacting to at times highly political posts on the “William Bailey for Sheriff” Facebook page.
The above are clearly problematic for LPAC, and after our research (google) into the rules governing 501(c)(3)s, we believe that LPAC is highly vulnerable to an “IRS 13909 Referral”.
Should such a complaint be filed, and should the IRS elect to investigate the apparently chronic and serial violations of some of the most basic rules governing a 501(c)(3), then LPAC could be in a world of trouble up to and including the loss of its non-profit status.
This would of course be catastrophic for LPAC and an absolute tragedy for La Pine as LPAC not only does excellent work with seniors and disabled adults but is also a tremendous resource for the whole community.
SUMMARY
When bad behavior is exposed, the resulting frustration and anger are often directed at the messenger — especially if the messenger is an outsider.
However, while it might be tempting to blame us, we suggest that doing so would be highly misplaced and would only let those responsible for putting LPAC at risk of legal action in the first place off the hook.
After all, it is not we who have put a much-loved and important community resource and institution at risk. The fault for that can be laid squarely at the feet LPAC’s executive management and board of directors.
Unfortunately, it is they who have put LPAC in legal jeopardy by allowing the organization to be used as a tool for the furtherance of Captain William Bailey’s political aspirations and career.
Those in charge of LPAC have a clear fiduciary duty to the organization for which they are responsible. This includes knowing and understanding the most basic and cardinal rules of a 501(c)(3) organization.
Saying, “We didn’t know” just doesn’t cut it; after all it is universally known that, “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Regardless of whether LPAC is ultimately investigated or not, we hope LPAC’s donors and the broader La Pine community will hold LPAC’s management and board of directors, to account by asking some hard questions and demanding some clear answers.
Perhaps a place to start would be by asking exactly what role, if any, LPAC board member Lieutenant Joe DeLuca and Executive Director Jamie Donahue played in LPAC’s repeated and long term engagement with “William Bailey for Sheriff,” DeLuca’s boss and good friend’s election campaign.
As for us, we simply think LPAC would do well to stay out of politics and to solely focus on its admirable mission:
“To support and promote dignity, well-being, nutrition, security and self-sufficient lifestyles for La Pine seniors and disabled adults.”
REFERENCES:
- The Restriction of Political Campaign Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations
- IRS faq regarding the ban on political campaign intervention by 501(c)(3) organizations
- The Persecution of Sergeant Jay Minton
- Lieutenant Joe Deluca Overtime
- “Rules for Thee but not for Me?”
- “The BBQ Boys”
- Slushygate & The Tactical Slushy Machine
