An ethics review of former Metro executive Mike Burton is, at this point, limited to his activities at Portland State University, according to a state official.
Oregon Government Ethics Commission executive director Ron Bersin said a preliminary review is underway after an audit by Portland State alleged that Burton inappropriately billed the university for a trip to Europe.
While the investigation could expand based on information the state discovers, Bersin said the statute of limitations on ethics complaints is four years.
Four years is also the limit of how long Metro retains source documents, including travel reimbursement forms, said Metro finance director Margo Norton.
Burton was Metro's executive officer from 1995 to 2003, serving as the elected staff head of the agency before a charter-mandated restructure that coincided with the end of his tenure. Now, an appointed chief operating officer heads the agency's operation under the direction of the Metro Council.
After leaving Metro, Burton joined Portland State University, retiring as the school's vice provost earlier this summer.
Metro Auditor Suzanne Flynn said Tuesday that she has not received any complaints about Burton's time at Metro, and senior staffers and former colleagues have said they were unaware of any accusations of wrongdoing from Burton's tenure at Metro.
Flynn said her office reserves the right to do an audit, if it appears that an audit is warranted.
Records, however, could be tough to come by. Metro's records retention schedule calls for source documents to be eliminated after four years. The only information likely to be left from Burton's tenure at Metro is data in the agency's electronic accounting system. That would show the amount of a reimbursement and who it was reimbursed to, but few details beyond that.