Cathie Rigby’s Public Record

A Primary Source Verification Resource for Lincoln County Voters

Our Mission: Transparency in Governance

Lincoln County manages a $210 million public budget. We believe that every candidate seeking to oversee these funds must have their professional, educational, and financial history verified against the official public record. RigbyVerify.com is a non-partisan repository of government-stamped documents, provided so that voters can perform their own due diligence.

Verification Status Summary

1. Educational Record & Graduation Timeline

To ensure the integrity of the Lincoln County Voters’ Pamphlet, we have verified the educational claims of Cathie Rigby.

• University Statement (May 7, 2026): The University of Utah Graduate School confirmed that Cathie Rigby was not a graduate and was only “advised” to apply for graduation on the final late-application deadline of May 1, 2026.
• The Review: The University is currently “completing necessary reviews to determine her eligibility.”
• Analysis: At the time of the official Voters’ Pamphlet filing (February), the candidate had not yet applied for the degree she claimed to hold.

👉 View the May 7 University Memo | 👉 View the SEL 101 Filing

2. Digital Metadata: Capstone vs. Course Paper

The candidate has cited a specific research paper as “her MPP capstone paper” We have archived the digital metadata for this document to provide forensic clarity on the document’s classification and authorship.

• Forensic Analysis: Digital metadata identifies the document as a “Final Paper” belonging to another student (who is listed alongside the candidate).
• Program Standards: University of Utah guidelines distinguish between a course-level final paper and a terminal Master’s Capstone.
• Status: We requested clarification from the campaign on this distinction on May 11, 2026. No response has been received.

👉 View University Graduation Requirements

3. Employment Certification (2023)

As part of our commitment to verifying the candidate’s professional history, we reviewed the 2023 employment application submitted by Cathie Rigby for a public-facing role.

• The Claim: On the official 2023 application form, the candidate checked the “Yes” box in response to the question: “Did you graduate?”
• The Document: The candidate certified this information under penalty of dismissal or legal recourse at the time of submission.
• The Conflict: This certification occurred three years prior to the May 2026 University statement confirming she was only then being “advised” to apply for graduation.
• Significance: This establishes a multi-year timeline of the candidate claiming credentials that the University of Utah maintains were not yet conferred.

👉View Redacted 2023 Application Form

4. Financial Oversight & Public Records

Management of a $210 million county budget requires a verified history of financial stewardship. We provide the following public dockets for voter review:

• Bankruptcy Records: Dockets for three separate federal bankruptcy filings.
• Judgment/Lien History: Up to 11 documented legal financial obligations and tax liens across multiple jurisdictions.
• The Purpose: These records are provided strictly to assist voters in evaluating a candidate’s experience with long-term financial management and legal obligations.

👉 View the Bankruptcy Records | 👉 View the Jugdment/Lien Records

5. 2001 Legal Record: Narrative Verification

A central part of the candidate’s platform involves her personal financial history and “total ruin” following a 2001 divorce. We have redacted and provided the decree to verify the timeline of these events.

• Equity & Assets: The 2001 Decree (Lines 9, 11, and 14) outlines the division of retained home equity, private school tuition, and American Express debt.
• Logistical Data: Line 9 provides a verified residency timeline that contradicts the “total ruin” and “homelessness” narrative used to solicit support on the campaign trail.
• Note: We provide these documents only where they intersect with the candidate’s own public campaign narrative.

👉 View Redacted 2001 Decree

6. Secretary of State Review (ORS 260.715)

Discrepancies regarding the candidate’s sworn filings have been referred to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for a formal determination.

• The Complaint: Filed April 24, 2026, regarding potential false statements in the Voters’ Pamphlet.
• Current Status: Pending investigation under ORS 260.715(1).
• Legal Classification: Under Oregon Law, knowingly submitting false information on an SEL 101 is a Class C Felony.

👉 View Official Complaint & Exhibits

Video Archive: Side-by-Side Comparisons

For those who prefer a visual summary, we have compiled a 54-second breakdown of campaign statements placed alongside the corresponding legal documents. We encourage viewers to focus on the dates and document numbers provided.

👉 View a Detailed Analysis of the Claims Made in the Video

Watch in landscape mode

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is RigbyVerify.com?

RigbyVerify.com is an independent, document-based research project dedicated to verifying the professional and financial claims of candidates seeking public office. Because the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners oversees a $210 million public budget, we believe voters deserve access to primary source documents—such as court dockets, university verifications, and tax records—rather than relying solely on campaign rhetoric.

👉 View Why This Site Was Created

Q: Is this a partisan site?

Our mission is evidentiary, not partisan. While our principal founder, Ross Smith has expressed strong support for non-partisan candidate Casey Miller, as well as two other candidates who are registered Democrats. His support is based on a specific requirement: administrative honesty.

His support for other candidates is based on their stated willingness to address the administrative dysfunction currently oversighted by County Counsel and the Acting County Administrator/HR Director.

We believe the systemic dysfunction within Lincoln County cannot be corrected by leaders who misrepresent their own credentials. Whether you support Cathie Rigby or her opponents, the government-stamped records hosted here remain unchanged. We invite you to review the evidence and draw your own conclusions.

Q: Who is Ross Smith?

Ross Smith is a seventh-generation Oregonian, a full-time resident of Lincoln City, and an investigative researcher. He founded this project to address what he views as a lack of transparency in local governance. Ross believes that to fix the issues at the county level, leadership must be willing to discuss the performance of current officials like County Counsel Kristin Yuille and Acting County Administrator (and HR Director) David Collier. This site is his personal contribution to that civic dialogue.

Q: Why focus on a divorce decree from 2001?

We do not litigate personal lives. However, when a candidate uses a specific personal narrative—such as claiming they “lost everything” or had “zero income”—to solicit votes, that narrative becomes a matter of public interest. We provide the 2001 decree (Lines 9, 11, and 14) strictly to verify the accuracy of the candidate’s public claims regarding her financial history and home equity.

Q: Why do you include a 2023 job application?

The 2023 application provides a historical benchmark. By checking a box certifying she had already graduated from a Master’s program three years ago, the candidate established a long-term pattern of misrepresentation. This indicates that the discrepancies in her 2026 Voters’ Pamphlet filing were not a one-time clerical error, but a sustained professional claim.

Q: Where do these documents come from?

Every document on this site is a primary source. This includes:

• Official emails and memos from the University of Utah Graduate School.
• Certified filings from the Oregon Secretary of State (SEL 101).
• Publicly accessible court dockets for bankruptcies and liens.
• Digital metadata from academic papers.
• Documents provided from the candidate herself.

We do not use “anonymous tips” or hearsay; if it isn’t backed by a government-stamped or university-verified record, it isn’t on this site.

Q: How is this project funded?

RigbyVerify.com is a project of Move Lincoln County Forward (ORESTAR ID 24980). It is funded personally by Ross Smith. Under Oregon law, providing information about a candidate during an election requires registration through the ORESTAR system. We have chosen to operate with full legal transparency to set an example for the very candidates we are vetting.

Q: Has the candidate been given a chance to respond?

Yes. We have reached out to the Rigby campaign regarding several discrepancies, including the metadata identifying her “Capstone” as another student’s “Final Paper.” To date, the candidate has declined to provide a direct answer, instead issuing public statements that we have analyzed as the “language of evasion.” All public responses from the candidate are archived here for your review.

Contact / Submit Public Records

Email us at: tips@RigbyVerify.com or

👉 Use our Contact Page