A report revealed that a Portland mayoral candidate used $6,400 of taxpayer funds to enhance his Wikipedia page.

A recent report revealed that Rene Gonzalez, a city commissioner and mayoral candidate in Portland, spent over $6,000 in taxpayer funds to positively modify his Wikipedia page.

In March, Gonzalez's office hired WhiteHatWiki, a New York City-based company, to oversee changes to his Wikipedia profile, as reported by OregonLive, which obtained the records through a public records request. Additionally, Gonzalez requested that WhiteHatWiki train a "designee" on the process for submitting future edit requests, according to the outlet.

The Wikipedia consultant company claims to be the top "white hat" ethical provider for Wikipedia strategy and problem-solving, including crisis management, as stated on its website.

Gonzalez submitted eight edit requests, but only four were approved by Wikipedia, according to his chief of staff, Shah Smith.

Gonzalez, who holds a law degree, has been actively involved in advocating for a public drug use ban in Portland in 2023.

The Wikipedia edit page history shows that a request by Gonzalez to emphasize his father's "Mexican American" heritage in the "Early life and career" section of his profile was rejected.

Gonzalez was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where his father, a Mexican American, worked as a trial judge and federal prosecutor.

The volunteer editor denied the request because his father's ethnicity is already mentioned in his personal life section.

The commissioner's chief of staff strongly defended the worthiness of the $6,400 price tag when questioned about its use of taxpayer dollars.

He stated that opponents of political change are cunning and attempt to manipulate events and their importance, as reported by OregonLive.

In order to advance Portland, we must be advanced in our approach to policy development and historical discussion. This requires being creative in how we manage our public image and how we educate our staff.

Since January 2023, Gonzalez has been a member of the Portland City Commission in Oregon and is now one of the eight candidates running for mayor of Portland in November's election after Ted Wheeler announced he won't be seeking a third term. Gonzalez describes himself as a "lifelong Democrat."

Gonzalez, a newcomer to politics who positioned himself as a centrist and supporter of law and order, has frequently been targeted by vandals. His campaign headquarters windows were smashed on multiple occasions leading up to the 2022 election, in which he defeated incumbent Hardesty, who advocated for defunding the police. In 2024, self-described anarchists boasted about torching a car parked in front of a city commissioner's home.

Gonzalez did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.

Wheeler has been elected as the mayor of Portland twice, first in 2016 and then in 2020. During his tenure, the city has faced numerous challenges, including a surge in homelessness and violent crime. Additionally, Portland has become a national focal point for racial justice protests and riots, with months of nightly, sometimes violent demonstrations, and the rise of Antifa.

In May 2024, a poll revealed that 70% of voters in the Portland area disapprove of their city's progressive leadership, including city council members and Wheeler.

Planet Chronicle' Megan Myers and Hannah Ray Lambert contributed to this report.