PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Multnomah County court records show that Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull was arrested in 2011 for misdemeanor violation of a restraining order filed by his then-wife Galina Anufrieva. He was ultimately acquitted of that charge just a few months later in circuit court.
Shull has recently come under fire following publication of comments made on his personal Facebook page representing racist, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant and transphobic views, leading to widespread calls for his resignation.
According to court records, Shull was arrested for sending a package of chocolates and a note written in Russian to the Portland domestic violence shelter where his wife was staying at the time of their divorce proceedings in February 2011.
The note was translated to read “Your home and bed are waiting for you. Tiger, in eternal love.”
According to the court records, Shull’s wife told police that “Tiger” was one of his nicknames.
Following his arrest, Shull explained to Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies that he had met Anufrieva through an online Russian dating website and the pair had been married since July 2010.
Records also show that Shull told deputies he was aware of the restraining order, but denied having violated it. He pleaded not-guilty to the charge and was acquitted just under a month later.
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday, Jan. 14, to approve a resolution censuring Shull for social media comments, as well as calling for his immediate resignation. The approval was unanimous, including a “Yea” vote from Shull himself.
Despite the censure and mounting calls for his resignation, Shull said Thursday he would continue to work on behalf of the people of Clackamas County until he’s had time to think about the board’s resolution.