Eugene Weekly Halts Print Edition Amid Embezzlement Scandal

Former employee allegedly embezzled $90,000, leaving the Oregon newspaper with $100,000 in unpaid bills and forcing it to lay off its entire staff.

The Eugene Weekly, a local Oregon newspaper, has been forced to lay off its entire staff and halt its print edition due to embezzlement by a former employee.
The former employee, heavily involved with the paper's finances, allegedly paid themselves $90,000 from the paper's bank account since at least 2022.
The paper also discovered at least $100,000 in unpaid bills, including to the paper's printer, stretching back several months.
The Eugene police department's financial crimes unit is investigating the incident, and the paper's owners have hired forensic accountants to piece together what happened.
Despite being officially unemployed, Eugene Weekly staff have continued to work without pay to help update the website and figure out next steps. The paper has launched a fundraising effort that included the creation of a GoFundMe page.