Embezzlement | Oregon newspaper lays off entire workforce after employee fraud

An Oregon-based newspaper shut down its operations and laid off its entire workforce after a former finance employee embezzled tens of thousands of dollars.

The Eugene Weekly, a publication based in the state of Oregon, swiftly closed its doors, announcing it would cease printing its weekly newspaper due to financial issues that left the company in “shambles” after a former worker stole funds.

The newspaper, a free publication founded in 1982, printed 30,000 copies every week for readers in the city of Oregon.

The publication revealed that the former employee, closely involved with the company’s finances, had paid themselves $90,000 since 2022. Additionally, the newspaper had over $100,000 in unpaid bills, according to the Associated Press.