📼 Manning Office footage
Nearly twenty minutes of unedited Oregon State Police (OSP) bodycam footage in which Trooper Brian Kolacz walks Logan M. Isaac, HoSM, to Senator James Manning's office and the two talk at length — the state's own contemporaneous record of a calm, cooperative advocate, recorded the same day OSP would later be told he required a Capitol-wide escort restriction.
Transcript
OSP Trooper: [00:00:00] [00:01:00] Just got a recording going. Are you not getting the help that you need from the office?
Logan M Isaac: I was dropping off a hard copy. The secretary didn't wanna talk to me, so I left.
OSP Trooper: Sorry, I'm obviously walking the stairs, the heart rate goes up a little bit.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah.
OSP Trooper: Um. Just
Logan M Isaac: me.
OSP Trooper: Yeah, I'll head down then. What's up?
Are you just getting frustrated with, like, some of the service you're getting or?
Logan M Isaac: Uh, my feelings aren't really what's at heart. I mean, civil rights are what I'm here about. And what's her name knows that.
OSP Trooper: Hey, I was just talking.
Is there anything, like, I could help you with?
Logan M Isaac: Um, no. Just kinda- I mean, there's no laws that protects me and maybe you
OSP Trooper: All right.
Logan M Isaac: I'm going down. Um, [00:02:00] so, yeah, it's not an enforcement issue, unfortunately. Sure. Oh. Here. I can give you a name for someone you could look up, uh, see how he's doing. He's a Portland resident, sergeant major in the Marine Corps, got accused of hate crimes. Hate crimes don't exist in oregon law. Um, but that didn't stop The Oregonian and The New York Times from running with it. Um, yeah. Anyway.
OSP Trooper: Looking for a hearing. I got it on my phone.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, I'm looking for the Senate tomorrow. Maybe not
Turn. Oh, it's just going. Okay. It's going swimming
Oh, SJM 1 removed. That's civil, that's, um, civil rights for soldiers and veterans. [00:03:00] It got removed. You ever serve outside the... In the military?
OSP Trooper: No, just a lot of my coworkers.
Logan M Isaac: Dang, so you don't have any stake if they take away our civil rights.
OSP Trooper: Well, I-
Logan M Isaac: You wanna go with me to Senator Manning's office? He probably would like security, but I'd love to talk to him, ask why my civil rights are being removed.
OSP Trooper: I mean, I'll walk with you.
Logan M Isaac: Okay.
OSP Trooper: Yeah
Is it a Senate bill or a House-
Logan M Isaac: Actually, Senate ... bill?
Manning Staff: Right out there. Oh. Right here.
Logan M Isaac: All right, have a
Manning Staff: good afternoon.
OSP Trooper: Is there something- Yeah. Okay ... is there something your House is trying to, uh, trying to get a bill pushed through for the House side or? Uh,
Logan M Isaac: I'll take anybody who cares about soldiers and veterans.
Thatcher so far submitted it. Uh, this one, uh, got submitted by a vet, but they didn't get reelected, so this bill got dropped, dropped into the ether. Now I'm trying to get someone to pick it up.
OSP Trooper: Hmm.
Logan M Isaac: And-
OSP Trooper: Is this the first [00:04:00] year that you... Do you have experience with this stuff or?
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, I did it federally for a couple years.
OSP Trooper: Hmm.
Logan M Isaac: Um, they care even less than local elected officials.
OSP Trooper: In the federal?
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, yeah, DC.
OSP Trooper: They probably have-
Logan M Isaac: I worked in Maryland for four years? Hmm. Four years. I did this at the big capital. Yeah, there's a lot of people who want to use vets and soldiers for political points.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: But when it comes to simple, uh...
There's a Senate member. How you doing? Hi. Committee member. I'm, I'm trying to figure out why my civil rights are being dropped from the committee. Oh. But I'll, I'll ask the chair. Don't worry about it. He was there.
OSP Trooper: Was it a hearing or?
Logan M Isaac: Yep. No, uh, it was an informational hearing. Is he on 3? Manning.
OSP Trooper: Uh-
Logan M Isaac: Manning
OSP Trooper: I think he's on 2. 2. Maybe 213. Okay. You're not having to go through this all yourself, are you?
Logan M Isaac: No, yeah, I am.
OSP Trooper: You don't have any friends or [00:05:00] something to help you through this?
Logan M Isaac: Some, yeah. But they don't... Yeah, no.
OSP Trooper: Hmm. It's not easy.
Logan M Isaac: Do you know, uh, Martin Luther King was stabbed in the chest when he did a book signing?
Did you know this? Do you know who did it?
OSP Trooper: No.
Logan M Isaac: An old Black lady.
OSP Trooper: Hmm. During a book signing, huh?
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. So when you start rattling your chain, reminding stakeholders and people with power, everybody circles the wagons.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: I've had vets discontinue contact with me because, I mean, you can read it. Um, Manning is a vet.
OSP Trooper: Do you mind if I read it?
Logan M Isaac: Oh, yeah. No, go for it. Yeah.
OSP Trooper: Is this
Logan M Isaac: just
OSP Trooper: some- I may have to hand this to you ... is this, like, the... Yeah, I'll take it. I, I'll just- Sure ... I'll read it later.
Logan M Isaac: Knock, knock. Hello. Hi. I have some questions about the committee meeting tomorrow. There you go. Thank you. The Senate joint memorial was dropped.
Thatcher is telling me I'm supposed to be, or she's telling me it's tomorrow, but it's not on the agenda[00:06:00]
I just want information
Senate Joint Memorial 1, it was removed from the first hearing. Uh, I have some interest in it, so I wanna testify, but I'm getting conflicting reports from within the chamber whether or not I can expect it to be I don't know what the, about the terminologies
Manning Staff: You know, you know we're always-
Logan M Isaac: Logan Isaac
Manning Staff: You're on, you're fine. It's so cold on this Thursday. Maybe we'll just go outside.
Logan M Isaac: I have one other matter
This is, uh, a military civil rights act. I spoke with Senator Manning about it. He didn't pick it up. James Heeb picked it up, and then he didn't get reelected. So it would be in Senator Manning's own personal interest to make sure he has civil rights. But I went to drop that off hoping that his office would sponsor it, being a veteran and all.[00:07:00]
Should, should I follow up or should I wait for someone from his office to tell me one way or the other?
Manning Staff: You can follow up. Do you have, um, do you have his email?
Logan M Isaac: The email I have has never been responded to.
Manning Staff: Okay. Well, he's not available right now.
Logan M Isaac: Hmm. How can I get this information that I'm legally entitled to- May I schedule an appointment? ... if my emails haven't been replied to? I could call again, but I mean, we're now less than 24 hours before that, that hearing. So what's the, what's the thing that I should do?
Manning Staff: All right, I'll be back[00:08:00]
Logan M Isaac: Okay Um, and what happened? Well
Um, but I've already made arrangements to be here, so Yeah. Oh, okay.
Manning Staff: Once she gets here. May-
Logan M Isaac: when is it finalized? Is it final? Has, has SJM1 been moved? And if so, do we know when that hearing will be?
I mean, I, I ask because the only reasonable option I have is to be here at 1:00, spending hours on testimony, and if it isn't there, then I'll really be kind of frustrated. But I'm asking 24 [00:09:00] hours ahead of time, should I be here at 1300 for this bill that I have an interest in testifying for, or should I not?
OSP Trooper: Are you hoping just like, like a phone call back would be-
Logan M Isaac: I need some kind of confirmation, and he's the only one that can provide it.
OSP Trooper: Is a phone the best way that you would like to get contacted, or is it- Yes ... or is-
Logan M Isaac: If email's not his thing, that, yes, phone
OSP Trooper: So just a phone call to- Yeah ... like your personal cell phone or just-
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, that's what I gave her
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Okay.
Logan M Isaac: Do, uh-
OSP Trooper: So like basically, like what, when would be the latest to know by? I mean, like tomorrow at 9:00 AM, or is there a timeframe that seems to be appropriate to help you know?
Logan M Isaac: It takes me at least an hour to get here, but I've, like, I'm already... Senator Thatcher said the hearing was tomorrow.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: I've already put in hours drafting testimony, so I'm already kind of effed.
OSP Trooper: Just like a committee hearing?
Logan M Isaac: Yep. Um, so, and, and Thatcher, the last communication [00:10:00] I got from Thatcher is that it is being heard tomorrow.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: But the, the website says it's been removed.
OSP Trooper: I see.
Logan M Isaac: So if I show up with testimony and it's been removed, like-
OSP Trooper: You're talking about specific to a Senate-
Logan M Isaac: Yeah
OSP Trooper: bill that you're trying to-
Logan M Isaac: Senate Joint Memorial. Say again?
Manning Staff: What bill?
Logan M Isaac: Say again?
OSP Trooper: What-
What bill?
Manning Staff: ... Bill?
Logan M Isaac: Senate Joint Memorial 1. SJM 1. I mean, if you tell me it's canceled, I won't show up. But then if I hear later that it was debated and I was told it was canceled, that-
OSP Trooper: Be frust- frustrating ...
Logan M Isaac: seems like either foolishness or a lie.
OSP Trooper: Right, right.
Logan M Isaac: So...
OSP Trooper: How long has that been part of that committee? Uh, is that a newer thing?
Logan M Isaac: September. Well, it was formally submitted in December.
I spoke with Senator Manning as early as September.
OSP Trooper: I see. Yeah, definitely no way, uh, he's wasting a drive up here
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. And people with power and money should, uh, I mean, this is what democracy is about. I'm not supposed to have to spend my time and money. It's supposed to mostly work-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...[00:11:00]
Logan M Isaac: but it doesn't, because people don't wanna email. People get their feelings involved. In the meantime, the people with less power continue to get screwed-
OSP Trooper: You probably- ...
Logan M Isaac: like enlisted veterans.
OSP Trooper: You probably know more than me, but do they, do they allow online testimony, or is it all in person?
Logan M Isaac: Uh, they do. Uh, I think that's kind of a cop-out, and I'd prefer not to, and I have some PTSD related to electronics, because people trusting technology when we shouldn't.
People die-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: in Iraq. So if it's a choice, I choose to be here in person.
OSP Trooper: Sure. I would, I would too. I don't like trusting, uh, the technology either.
Logan M Isaac: It makes it easy to hide behind our power. Sure. And I don't have any interest in giving people any more power than they are authorized under our Constitution.
OSP Trooper: Especially if somebody can just, like, silence you on the other end or something, or-
Logan M Isaac: Exactly. Or not answer emails ...
OSP Trooper: you block your screen and-
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, voicemail. Yeah ...
OSP Trooper: well, we have plenty of coworkers that aren't very good with email, so I'm sure- Yeah. I get it ... I'm sure he's not alone, but yeah. I just figured I'd ask.
Manning Staff: Okay.[00:12:00]
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. Yeah, ask what, what is close of business for y'all? Like 5:00? Okay, I'd like to know by five o'clock today
Okay. Thank you. Bye five o'clock. Looking forward to it Okay Oh, I didn't get your name.
OSP Trooper: Brian. Yeah.
Logan M Isaac: Thanks, Brian.
OSP Trooper: Yeah, no worries. I got a business card if you want.
Logan M Isaac: Oh, sure.
OSP Trooper: Yeah. I think so. I'll hold it to the side. Yeah. I think I've seen you once or twice. I mean, you got a familiar- Probably ... looking face.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah.
OSP Trooper: Yeah, I wasn't... I mean, if c- if, you know, I hear noises and stuff in the offices like earlier, that was kinda why I was on the house side.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. Yeah, I was recording. And, uh, what's her name interrupted and yelled first.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: I'm happy to provide her that recording.
OSP Trooper: I mean, I can- [00:13:00]
Logan M Isaac: People sit on them long enough, you learn where and how to strategically place the toilet paper so it doesn't roll any further downhill than it needs to.
OSP Trooper: So you don't wanna burn bridges either, especially if they-
Logan M Isaac: It's not a bridge-
OSP Trooper: ... give you another possibility ...
Logan M Isaac: if at the first sign of adversity, you withdraw. That's a defense mechanism. I can't burn a drawbridge.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: These are people, these are elected officials, and they're-
OSP Trooper: Well, not their- ...
Logan M Isaac: publicly employed staff
OSP Trooper: not their assistants, though. They're not elected.
Logan M Isaac: They're publicly employed. If they wanna work in the private sector, it's very lucrative.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: More protection. But I could look up all their salaries. Like, that's-
OSP Trooper: Perhaps it's not all-
Logan M Isaac: We forget ...
OSP Trooper: all about money for people, though.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, it's not about money for me either.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: I'm not getting paid.
OSP Trooper: Right. I'm sure the-
Logan M Isaac: The- .
OSP Trooper: .. Assistants probably don't get a whole lot either.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. I, and I hope they have a union or something. But-
OSP Trooper: Yeah, probably ...
Logan M Isaac: my community doesn't have a union. We're killing ourselves at breakneck pace, so I don't have the patience for other people's feelings.
OSP Trooper: Do you think, like is there no way to look up online where the, like what all happened to the bill, or are they just some ...[00:14:00]
Logan M Isaac: I mean, I gu- Oh, no. E- anything-
OSP Trooper: Usually they just fall off the map. Is that what happens?
Logan M Isaac: I've looked up everything I can, and the, the Thatcher's telling me be here tomorrow at 1300. The, the printout, well, I don't know, there's computer screens. It says, "SJM1 removed."
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: And they don't have a future date, so like I, if I believe Thatcher and I show up at 1300- This is a victory ... I'm going to be angry.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: If I don't show up and they hear it, then it looks like I did something wrong. Well. So-
OSP Trooper: But angry to the point of not actually hurting someone or-
Logan M Isaac: I've never hurt someone.
I've never been so, in so much as a fight other than-
OSP Trooper: Well-
Logan M Isaac: ... in the military.
OSP Trooper: I think I, obviously you understand from what you've done is, from a law enforcement side, we just wanna make sure nobody gets hurt.
Logan M Isaac: Yes. I appreciate you doing your job, and that's exactly-
OSP Trooper: That's- ...
Logan M Isaac: what you should be doing ...
OSP Trooper: that's all we do.
Logan M Isaac: And that's why I told her, if it's a threat, which is a crime-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: she needs to be careful with her language. That was inappropriate, unprofessional, and possibly unlawful.
OSP Trooper: You're talking about just the way she's talking? I don't know if-
Logan M Isaac: No, no. She said that me exercising freedom of speech was a threat, [00:15:00] and then she raised her voice, and then she accused me-
OSP Trooper: No, I have had people directly threaten somebody in their life. I mean, that's-
Logan M Isaac: No. Yeah, I know what a threat is ...
OSP Trooper: threats could be used against people, so.
Logan M Isaac: Leverage and threats are different. Threats are a, uh, a risk of harm, undue harm.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: So if she has some harm to her reputation or her office-
OSP Trooper: Right ...
Logan M Isaac: the elected official, like that's not a threat.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: That is someone exposing- duplicity and then possibly not getting, getting reelected
OSP Trooper: That would be like a more of a menacing threat, like they're actually physically menacing somebody.
Logan M Isaac: Oh. Yeah, I don't know. I know it's a crime, and it would be hard to... It would be very hard to prove that what I said was a threat. I said I was gonna go-
OSP Trooper: You feel like she's acting criminal towards you? Is that what you're saying? Or were you just-
Logan M Isaac: Uh, no, I think reckless
OSP Trooper: You're just saying the way she was communicating wasn't effective?
Logan M Isaac: Uh, vets have been It's stereotyped- Mm-hmm ... as volatile, as, uh, trigger-happy, [00:16:00] right?
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: So, uh, a casual remark can go a long way. Sure. I have a buddy who lost custody of his son for a four-letter fucking acronym, 'cause he got angry and yelled at his baby's mama. And for the 18 years, he won't get access to his son that he should be because a court just assumed that PTSD is, I don't know what.
OSP Trooper: A factor.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah, so it is not too much to ask that public offices police their own language-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: because you might not know what a threat is.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: And you might arrest me, and that damage is done before I ever get to a courthouse.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: So that's why it's really important that everybody do their job. I appreciate you guys doing your job.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: And I know a couple of the guys were in the hearing when I was here in December.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: And they did their job. I double-checked. Sure. But they did their job, and I appreciate it. Right.
OSP Trooper: Yeah. I mean, it's a good job to be done here, and obviously a lot of work to, to, to do, communicating with all these people who may not be the best at communicating back.
But, um, I guess my hope for you is that you get your response, [00:17:00] that you could have, I mean, I don't-
Logan M Isaac: I need to make sure this gets introduced, and that's kind of my little personal-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: breakpoint. Sure. Not breakpoint. That's not the right word, but-
OSP Trooper: Is this the first year that you've tried some- like, uh, establishment-
Logan M Isaac: Here? Yeah. We've only lived here for, like, a year,
and- '
OSP Trooper: Cause you said you did it federally before.
Logan M Isaac: Mm-hmm.
OSP Trooper: Yeah.
Logan M Isaac: Um, and that's what SJM is about. It's about Oregon telling Congress-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: "you're not enforcing this law. Why not?" Because I've had two, two congressional inquiries to the DOJ over six years, and both of them were ignored.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: And, uh, I just, I went down to, went up to Portland to chase down some information about a vet who was accused-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: of a hate crime, and it, that's, it's not a thing, but everybody said it was a hate crime.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: And he, he was forced into retirement, and I, I ca- his line's been disconnected. I don't know-
OSP Trooper: Is it federally, or is it not yet on-
Logan M Isaac: Hate crimes are federal. Yes. There's no hate crimes in Oregon that I know of. It's a bias crime. Um-
OSP Trooper: Yeah, I mean, I'm talking about military-wise.
Logan M Isaac: Oh. Uh. Yes. There are hate crimes protections up to five [00:18:00] years after discharge for service members and their immediate family.
OSP Trooper: Hmm.
Logan M Isaac: Um, never been... Well, they started, there's one charge after I started raising hell.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: Um, but the DOJ has not provided information to local law enforcement. Sure. Which is exactly why I think this guy got screwed over. Anyway, um-
OSP Trooper: Do they, do they usually get upset if you're recording them and they don't know about it or?
Logan M Isaac: They're public officials.
OSP Trooper: Sure.
Logan M Isaac: Um, state of Oregon is-
OSP Trooper: Just be careful 'cause some of those spaces become private in their offices, so.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. You- That's the expectation of privacy is the language in Oregon law. Um, but if you're on public property with a public official on duty, that's a pretty high bar to-
OSP Trooper: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: to get over.
OSP Trooper: Right.
Logan M Isaac: Um-
OSP Trooper: Just be maybe the doors, like, when they have locked, areas that can be locked and stuff- Yeah ... behind them.
Logan M Isaac: Just- I prefer not to talk in offices, but, um-
OSP Trooper: Just for your own protection is all. But-
Logan M Isaac: No, I'm, I am well aware. There was one legislator, it was just him, and he came in, or I came in, and he, like, closed the door. I'm like, "That's a little weird." And then he didn't like what I had to say, and I'm like- Sure ... "Okay, I'm just letting myself out."
But no, I'm, I'm- '
OSP Trooper: Cause I know [00:19:00] for us, like, we're, it's pretty s- strict on, you know, those kind of laws and such. Okay.
Logan M Isaac: Good.
OSP Trooper: It's more for police, so.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. Um,
OSP Trooper: but yeah. Anyway.
Logan M Isaac: Yeah. No, that thought has crossed my mind. I gotta get back. Thank you, Brian.
OSP Trooper: Yeah. No, it's-
Logan M Isaac: I appreciate it ...
OSP Trooper: sure. We'll see you around.
Logan M Isaac: Thanks.
OSP Trooper: Yeah. Good luck with the answer you get. Thank you. Yep.
