JOHN DAY — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports that the Rocky Mtn Dispensary offered customers a discount on marijuana or other products in exchange for a “yes” vote in the Jan. 16 election to recall John Day Mayor Heather Rookstool, but business owner Haley Olson denies those claims.

Sheriff Todd McKinley declined to provide more detail about the allegations as they are still under investigation. At issue is whether the dispensary did anything to improperly influence the outcome of the election.

Chapter 260.665 of the Oregon Revised Statutes makes it a crime to exercise undue influence of elections. Under the law, giving or promising to give money or something of value in exchange for voting a particular way can result in a fine.

Laura Kerns, the communications director for the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, said the agency has received a complaint and opened an investigation into the allegations but would not provide further comment while the case is still under investigation.

Olson told the Eagle that her shop did not offer discounts of any sort pertaining to the recall, although there were fliers in support of recalling Rookstool present in her store. Olson said a supporter of Rookstool’s came into the dispensary and saw a flyer in support of the recall, then became angry and demanded a copy of the flyer.

One of Rocky Mtn Dispensary’s employees, Brett Copenhaver, echoed Olson’s statements.

“I never heard anything about the recall from customers,” he said.

Copenhaver was as adamant as Olson in stating that the dispensary never offered any sort of a discount in exchange for a “yes” vote on the recall.

“We would have put flyers up in support of Heather, but nobody ever brought any in,” she said. “I would have put them right beside one another and let the voters make up their minds.”

Olson said she’s got no dog in the fight over the recall.

“I live in Prairie City,” she said. “I just want people to vote — I don’t care how they vote. Most people have it in their minds that their votes don’t matter.”

Olson said she had not been interviewed by the sheriff’s office.

“No, they haven’t reached out to me,” she said.

Olson said unfounded allegations regarding the dispensary are nothing new, adding that her business is one of the more heavily scrutinized in Grant County.

“We’ve had accusations that we were selling other drugs (besides cannabis) out of the back of the store,” she said.