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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 20, 2006 Partners say Saxton more investor than actual farmer PORTLAND — Partners of Republican governor candidate Ron Saxton in a Willamette Valley cherry orchard say he was mostly a passive investor. Saxton is a founder of one of Portland's most prominent law firms. On his Web site he says he "owned a commercial cherry farm" and listed "farming" as the first entry under occupational background in the Oregon Voters' Pamphlet. He was a part owner of a Rickreall farm, west of Salem, from 1984 until he agreed to sell his share in the partnership nearly 10 years ago. Saxton, who still has an interest in the farm, "was a pretty distant partner" and a "small percentage owner," Salem resident Dennis Peseau told The Oregonian newspaper, which described Peseau and James Thomas of Salem as the partners active in the farm's operation. Thomas said the partners tried to gather at the farm once a month to work and that Saxton usually showed up. But, he told The Oregonian, Saxton "was very inactive, as far as hands on, because both he and (Saxton's wife) Lynne were in the Portland area." The partnership has changed over the years, but Saxton and four or five others had owned a 75 percent share. In addition to having a share of that partnership, Peseau and his family owned the other 25 percent. Thomas said the farm has turned out to be a poor investment, and Saxton may have been smart to get out. He said he will pay Saxton for his share of the farm by the end of this year. Saxton's involvement with the farm has come under scrutiny since he made his call for a crackdown on illegal immigration a major issue in his challenge to Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The governor and other critics have accused Saxton of hypocrisy for raising the issue despite conceding that he doesn't know whether his farm hired illegal immigrants. Saxton has defended his record and said in a debate Tuesday that there is no evidence the farm ever used illegal workers. Available records show no raids at the farm, The Oregonian said. Saxton has said that the farm manager or contractor checked workers' papers, but he concedes there is no way of knowing that all the documents were legitimate. The paper reported that it found no evidence to support charges from Democratic bloggers that Saxton was involved in a substandard migrant labor camp. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.