Oregon Public Broadcasting

Multnomah County's sheriff has just five weeks left on the job. Bernie Giusto announced late Thursday he'll retire at the end of June.

Spurred by heat from a state commission, Giusto had indicated some time ago he'd be stepping down -- but he hadn't planned on leaving so soon, as April Baer reports.

Giusto's short written release, sent on the cusp of a holiday weekend, said little more than that he'll step down  June 30th.

There was no reference to the investigation that's driving him into retirement -- a probe that's tested the state's policing standards like no other.

Eriks Gabliks: "This has been no doubt the largest investigation we've ever been involved in."

Eriks Gabliks is with the state agency that oversees police certification. Last spring  the agency began looking into Giusto's affairs, spurred by a series of citizen complaints.

Eriks Gabliks: "It's the largest in span of time. we've never gone back more than five years, if you will, to look into a matter. So it wasn't just something that happened with the last year, it wasn't within the last three years. It was as far as far as twenty years back."

Gabliks said the Giusto probe required a lot of thorough investigation.  What he doesn't say is how deeply the matter penetrates the highest levels of power in the state.

The complainants asked for explanations of five issues. Some concerned Giusto's performance as sheriff.  Others centered around a story from his  early career as a state trooper, in the service of then-Governor Neil Goldschmidt.

Giusto was Goldschmidt's driver. The probe was honed down to two questions.

One: Had Giusto conducted an improper affair with the then-governor's wife?

Two: Did Giusto know of and fail to report Goldschmidt's sex abuse of a 14-year-old girl?

State Senator Vicki Walker questioned Giusto about the matter back in 2004.

Vicki Walker: "The guy just was not honest about any of his dealings. I felt that he was always above the law, or felt that he was above the law."

The State Department of Public Safety Standards and Training spent months looking into the matter. Ultimately, it decided  that Giusto knew more than he was telling.

The committee made a split decision: First, that evidence was not strong enough to punish Giusto for failing to report the sex abuse claim. Much of the data came from what Giusto and others had told reporters. That's not the same, panel members said, as legal evidence.

But last week, the committee concluded Giusto "should" lose his badge for lying about his affair with Margie Goldschmidt, when he was directly confronted by his superiors.

Giusto's announced retirement doesn't end the matter. He can still loose his badge, and with it, the right to law enforcement jobs in other states. Giusto's pension would almost certainly remain intact, under any circumstances.

As to whether Giusto's punishment fits his misconduct, State Senator Vicki Walker says that's  for Oregonians to decide. But she sees his remaining weeks of service as a farce.

Vicki Walker: "This whole thing perpetuates itself in state government, that we try to protect the powerful. I just don't think that's right."

The Sheriff was unavailable for comment Friday, but indicated he'll have a more formal statement to make later.