Oregon politician, 29, who claimed he received anonymous racist and homophobic letter sparking a police investigation, confesses he wrote it HIMSELF and says stunt 'spiraled out of control'

An Oregon politician admitted to writing a racist and homophobic letter to himself after previously claiming it was left anonymously in his mail box.  

Jonathan Lopez, 29, alleged he received the letter in late June, warning him that he was not welcome in the area and that people like him are killed in Umatilla County. 

It was signed, 'Sincerely, America'. 

Hermiston Police revealed Monday that their investigation found Lopez penned the hate-filled rant himself and made false statements to the police and on social media. 

Police say the criminal investigation into the intimidation has now been closed but that Lopez may be charged for initiating a false police report.  

Lopez, who is Latino, claims he never meant to file a police report and only wanted to use the fake letter as an example but the case 'spiraled out of control'.  

'From the onset, this alleged incident has been thoroughly investigated,' Police Chief Jason Edmiston told East Oregonian. 

'Our investigation has shown that Mr. Lopez wrote the letter himself and made false statements to the police and on social media.' 

The politician claimed to have received the racist letter on June 23 from an anonymous person.  

The next day he told police and local media that he did not know who sent it and had found it in is mailbox.  

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Police revealed Monday that Lopez had written the letter himself a gave false statements to the police. The case has been referred to the Umatilla County District Attorney's Office

He shared the letter publicly to Facebook with certain sections blurred out, claiming he had been told he was 'not welcome here'. 

'F**k you and your n****r and queer loving self,' the fake letter read. 

'America is only for the great. You and your communist liberal community can go f**k yourselves and rot in hell. 

'Umatilla County kills w******s like you and are dumped in the fields and river. That's why our crops are the best! Don't waste your time trying to become anything in this county we will make sure you never win and your family suffers along with all the f*****g Mexicans in the area!' it continued.

'America is for the God-fearing, pro gun, pro life humans who refuse to be controlled by the government. There's no room for people like you here.' 

In a post accompanying the letter, Lopez wrote that he had 'no resentment for whomever wrote this'. 

'As an American born man who served in the USCG, fire and rescue services, I’m also proud of where my parents and grandparents were born and raised, Mexico,' Lopez added. 

'I have lived a life full of obstacles and challenges Including racism. There is no room or tolerance of that.'

He had removed his social media profiles as of Wednesday.  

Lopez has now made a written and verbal admission that the letter was fake, KOMO News reported.  

Edmiston said that he was 'disgusted' to learn that Lopez was responsible for the letter and that his actions 'needlessly' added to racial tension across the country. 

'The time spent on this fictitious claim means time lost on other matters, not to mention it needlessly adds to the incredible tension that exists in our nation today,' he said.

'As a lifelong resident of this diverse community, I’m disgusted someone would try to carelessly advance their personal ambitions at the risk of others.'

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Lopez ran in the May 2020 primary for a seat on the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners and came fourth. Police claim he may have also have broken the law with allegedly false claims that he served in the U.S. Coast Guard supplied to the election's voter guide

Lopez attempted to defend himself, telling the East Oregonian that he 'never meant to mislead' the public or even file a police report. 

He claims he only wished to use the letter as a way to talk about racism in the county with the police. 

'I never meant to file a report, it just kind of spiraled out,' he said. 

Hermiston Police said they are referring the matter to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office. 

Initiation of a false report is a Class A misdemeanor in Oregon. 

They are also sending information on possible election fraud amid claims Lopez presented false credentials during his run for county commissioner. 

The department says that Lopez made potentially fraudulent statements about his background and education in the May 2020 voter’s guide when he was running in the primary for a seat on the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners. 

Edmiston said police have learned Lopez may not have served in the U.S. Coast Guard as he has claimed. If a lie, it would be in violation of the 2013 Stolen Valor Act.  

Lopez placed fourth in the May primary.  

East Oregoni reports that he is a member of the city of Hermiston’s Hispanic Advisory Committee. 

It also states that Lopez is an associate pastor at Hermiston’s Living Springs Apostolic Church and the chief executive officer of the Einstein Learning Center.  

He was born in Los Angeles and moved to Virginia when he was ten years old. 

Lopez has only lived in Umatilla County since 2017.