Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek speaks at the State Library of Oregon in Salem on Jan. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Claire Rush)

On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported that the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission concluded an internal investigation. The investigation found that Executive Director Steve Marks and five other agency officials had “diverted” rare bourbons for their “personal use.” Among the bourbons in question was the highly sought-after Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old.

The investigation found that the officials were paying for the whiskey but used their “knowledge and connections” to obtain them. These whiskeys are typically extremely hard to find without spending thousands of dollars. This practice violated Oregon statutes, such as one that prohibits public officials from using confidential information for personal gain, according to The Associated Press.

“This behavior is wholly unacceptable,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said Wednesday in a letter to the agency’s board of commissioners. “I will not tolerate wrongful violations of our government ethics laws.”

In her letter, Kotek asked the board to remove the implicated officials, who she said “abused their position for personal gain.”

When questioned, Marks denied that he had violated Oregon ethics laws and state policy. He did, however, admit to receiving preferential treatment “to some extent” in obtaining the whiskey due to his employment with the commission.

“This incident underlines the importance of having public accountability,” agency spokesperson Mark Pettinger said, per The Associated Press. “The OLCC will need to work on rebuilding and restoring our public trust … and adhere to Oregon’s ethics laws.”

Kotek asked Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to “conduct an independent civil investigation into the extent of any wrongdoing and recommend stronger protocols for ensuring ethics laws are followed,” according to The Associated Press.

See what the experts think: Check out the top critic reviews of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old

Rare bourbons, especially Van Winkles, are incredibly valuable. A bottle of Pappy 23 only retails for about $300. However, it is highly unusual to find rare bottles such as that one at retail price. These allocated bottles are snatched up by buyers as soon as they hit shelves and resell for exorbitant amounts of money.

In December, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old sold for $52,500 at auction. Two other Pappy 23 bottles sold for $47,500 at the same auction and a fourth for $40,000.

Marks and the other officials maintain they never resold the whiskeys they obtained.

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