U.S. Clears Rajneesh Sect of Election Law Violation

The controversial Rajneesh religious group did not violate federal election laws last year when it bused thousands of homeless people into its central Oregon commune to register them to vote, the Federal Election Commission has ruled.

The decision, announced Thursday, was made in a suit filed by Larryann Willis, an unsuccessful Oregon congressional candidate who charged that the group transplanted the homeless from across the nation and indoctrinated them to vote against her and other so-called “enemy” candidates in the November election.

Willis, a Democrat who sought the congressional seat in Oregon’s 2nd District, contended that corporations owned by the Rajneesh group used election funds to take the homeless to the commune in Rajneeshpuram, Ore. U.S. law prohibits corporations from trying to influence federal elections.

The election commission, in a 5-0 vote, found “no probable cause” to believe that the corporate entities violated the law. The ruling was made June 25; in keeping with FEC policy, it took place in a closed meeting and was not made public until Thursday.

Despite the ruling, Willis vowed to continue fighting the sect, saying she may appeal the FEC decision in federal court.

“These people have been running rampant over the people of Oregon,” she said in a telephone interview from Vale, Ore. “Someone has to do something to stop these people.”

A spokesman for Willis’ opponent, incumbent Rep. Robert F. Smith (R-Ore.), called the decision “a matter between the challenger and the FEC,” adding that for politicians, “it is a very popular thing in Oregon” to oppose the group.

The sprawling 5,000-member commune has been the center of controversy since Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh moved there in 1981. His neighbors have complained of harassment and say that his followers, known as Rajneeshees, promote free sex and stockpile weapons.

In what many fear is only the beginning of the sect’s takeover plan--the guru has said he hopes his followers will “take the whole world”--the Rajneeshees also assumed control of a nearby community, Antelope, and renamed it the City of Rajneesh.

Willis, who is consulting with Rep. James Weaver (D-Ore.) over whether to appeal the FEC decision, said she is supporting a statewide petition drive for a ballot initiative to rescind the Rajneesh City Charter.

‘Keeping the Peace’

In Weaver’s office in Eugene, Ore., spokesman Robert Rutledge said the congressman is a member of an advisory board sponsoring the petition and is “monitoring the situation” because his chief concern is “keeping the peace.” Rutledge said he does not know what role Weaver would play in an appeal of the FEC ruling.

Willis, a horse rancher, said she is “very skeptical about how much investigating the FEC did” because she was not contacted during the probe.

FEC spokesman Frederick S. Eiland said “that’s not unusual,” however, because the commission expects any useful information to be provided by complainants when they file their suits.

Eiland also said Willis could appeal to federal court, alleging that the FEC had failed to carry out its responsibilities. But he added that unless the agency “thoroughly screws up,” it usually is upheld in such cases.

Corporate Funds

In her complaint, Willis charged that when 4,000 transients were bused into the commune as part of the “Sharing a Home” project, these corporate funds were spent: $1.49 million from the Rajneesh Humanity Trust; $300,000 from the Rajneesh Foundation; $318,000 worth of food, clothing and household goods from the Rajneesh Neo-Sannyas International Commune, and $265,000 in medical services from the Rajneesh Medical Corp.

The effort, she said, was designed to defeat her candidacy. The FEC said, however, that the street people were asked no questions of a political nature. Many of them left soon after arrival--some with bus tickets provided by the Salvation Army--and the sect wound up boycotting the election.

Asked if she intends to seek office again--she also lost the congressional race in 1982--Willis said: “I don’t know. Everything gets old.”