Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon's state treasurer, Ted Wheeler, announced Tuesday that he'll convene an ethics commission to look into his agency's travel and reimbursement policies.

Wheeler's announcement comes after an investigation by The Oregonian. It found state investment officers were traveling first class on business trips; being taken to golf and other entertainment for free; and were being reimbursed for meals they never paid for.

Wheeler took control of the agency as the perks were coming to light.

He has banned all first-class travel and limited per-diem reimbursement rates. But he says investment officers do have to travel.

Ted Wheeler: "We can't take Wall Street at its word so we need to check the books. That means visiting in person, real estate assets; That means participating in audits. That means checking the books ourselves to ensure our investments are sound."

Wheeler promises a report on agency perks by June.

The state treasurer gets paid about $80,000 a year. The investment officers he oversees make about $200,000 a year. 

Wheeler was appointed to his job in March. He's running for the office in the May primary.