Curry County Sheriff John Ward Permanently Expelled From OSSA Board

SALEM, Ore. (Aug. 24, 2026) — The Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association has permanently expelled Curry County Sheriff John Ward from its Board of Directors following an investigation into allegations involving donations from a local nonprofit organization.

The OSSA said it learned several weeks ago that the Curry County Board of Commissioners had completed an investigation into alleged misconduct by Ward involving donations from the John G. Atkins Foundation.

According to the OSSA, the county investigation concluded that Ward had been untruthful during the investigation and had taken donations from the foundation for his personal use.

After learning of the findings, the OSSA Executive Committee determined that its Board of Directors should consider whether Ward’s position as an OSSA director should be temporarily suspended or permanently revoked under the organization’s bylaws.

Ward was notified that the matter would be considered at a special OSSA Board meeting Aug. 24 and was given an opportunity to address the board before it made a decision. The OSSA said Ward did not appear before the board.

During the Aug. 24 meeting, the board considered Ward’s status. A motion was made to permanently expel Ward from serving as an OSSA director.

The motion passed unanimously, with 28 Oregon sheriffs voting on the matter.

Ward was immediately removed from the OSSA Board of Directors and will have no further involvement in the operation of the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, according to the organization.

All individuals are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law