Oregon Public Broadcasting

Opponents of the controversial liquefied natural gas terminal near Astoria accused the project's developers of illegal campaign activity Tuesday.

Columbia Riverkeeper says the energy company conducted a telephone poll in the region - and didn't report it to the state. Ethan Lindsey reports.

NorthernStar Natural Gas is the company that wants to build the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas terminal.

It would not comment on whether it conducted the telephone poll but says it does conduct polling all the time.

State records confirm NorthernStar Natural Gas has not filed an expenditure report for the election.

Don Hamilton is a spokesman for the Secretary of State's office. He says NorthernStar Natural Gas  would have to file a report if the poll questions overtly support the project.

Don Hamilton: “If it's polling, as we usually think of polling, merely soliciting an opinion, no, that doesn't require an independent expenditure report. But if it becomes a push poll, where the process tries to sway opinion, that can certainly be considered an independent expenditure."

Failure to properly file an independent expenditure report can result in thousands-of-dollars in fines.

Now the Secretary of State's office must determine whether the questions NorthernStar asked amounted to a push poll or not.