• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechOracle

Here’s Why Oracle Refuses New Business From Oregon’s Government

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 16, 2016, 9:13 PM ET
Oracle's Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison speaks during his keynote address at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco
Former Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison.Photograph by Robert Galbraith — Reuters

Oracle has had enough of Oregon.

The business technology giant has decided it will no longer take on new business with the state’s government amid an ongoing legal battle, Oracle senior vice president Ken Glueck told Fortune on Wednesday.

The decision follows a protracted legal tussle between the two parties over a disastrous state healthcare enrollment website that never came online. In 2011, Oregon enlisted Oracle (ORCL) to build a healthcare exchange website related to Obamacare after being impressed by the company’s sales pitch, according to a previous legal filing.

However, a series of technical issues plagued the website from the get-go. The two side quickly had a falling out over who was to blame.

Oracle says it will still honor its existing business contracts with Oregon and related state agencies. The decision will have no impact on any corporate clients in the state, Glueck explained.

“We are just not interested in expanding the relationship,” he said.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Oracle’s state government clientele typically includes social services agencies, motor vehicle departments, and tax agencies. But now, if an Oregon agency seeks out Oracle for a new project, the company will essentially just say no way.

The Portland Business Journal first reported the news that Oracle wanted to scale back its business in the state. Oregon filed a lawsuit against Oracle in 2014 that accused the company of “racketeering activity that has cost the State and Cover Oregon hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to the filing.

Oracle fought back in 2015 with its own countersuit that claimed certain Oregon officials connected with the state’s former governor were responsible for the project’s failure and that they had shifted the blame to Oracle.

In January, Oracle sued Oregon again over allegations that the state did not comply with a proposed settlement to end the litigation. Oregon, however, argued that the settlement talks did not include the state attorney general and therefore any agreement was invalid.

Last week, Oracle filed yet-another lawsuit, this time against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The company wants to compel the department to investigate why Oregon’s health insurance exchange project collapsed.

In his interview with Fortune, Glueck said that Oracle was never the website’s project lead (otherwise known as a systems integrator) and that all of Oregon’s allegations are unfounded. Additionally, the fact that Oregon “sued five of our employees personally” helped to factor into the decision to cut future ties to the state, he said.

Glueck didn’t seem concerned that Oracle could lose out on new business with Oregon to rival companies like IBM (IBM) and Amazon (AMZN). He emphasized that Oregon’s government agencies account for only a small part of Oracle’s overall revenue.

“The state of Oregon is really not material to our business,” Glueck said. “It’s just too small.”

For more about Oracle, watch:

A spokesperson for Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum downplayed the news of Oracle’s decision. In an email to Fortune, she pointed out that the state had asked in its original lawsuit that “the court to prohibit the company from doing future business with the state of Oregon.”

Apparently, the bad blood flows both ways.

Glueck, for his part, said he is unconcerned about any negative impact to Oracle from its other customers. He said other state governments and private customers won’t be cut off, saying Oracle has “almost no litigation anywhere in the country” and that the Oregon legal drama is merely an “anomaly” that is “never going to happen again.”

“We’re the same Oracle,” said Glueck. “You know you can count on us.”

 

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

PoliticsColleges and Universities
Pentagon chief blocks officers from attending Ivy League schools and other top universities, including partners on AI and space
By Jason MaFebruary 28, 2026
7 hours ago
AIAnthropic
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says ‘we are patriotic Americans’ committed to defending the U.S. but won’t budge on ‘red lines’
By Jason MaFebruary 28, 2026
12 hours ago
sarandos
InvestingMedia
3 things we will never know after Netflix pulled out of the Warner Bros. bidding, handing it to Paramount
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 28, 2026
15 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
AIAnthropic
OpenAI sweeps in to ink deal with Pentagon as Anthropic is designated a ‘supply chain risk’—an unprecedented action likely to crimp its growth
By Jeremy KahnFebruary 28, 2026
15 hours ago
Big TechAmerican Politics
Your spend as a ‘weapon’: Scott Galloway’s ‘Resist and Unsubscribe’ movement asks you to ditch Amazon, Apple, and Netflix to oppose Trump
By Kristin StollerFebruary 28, 2026
19 hours ago
world's fair
CommentaryRobots
Something big is happening in AI, but panic is the wrong reaction
By Peter CappelliFebruary 28, 2026
20 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Japanese companies are paying older workers to sit by a window and do nothing—while Western CEOs demand super-AI productivity just to keep your job
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 27, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Iran is now on 'death ground' amid existential threat from U.S. attacks and could 'go big' in retaliation, former NATO commander warns
By Jason MaFebruary 28, 2026
14 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
The week the AI scare turned real and America realized maybe it isn't ready for what's coming
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 28, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Walmart exec says U.S. workforces needs to take inspiration from China where ‘5 year-olds are learning DeepSeek’
By Preston ForeFebruary 27, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of February 27, 2026
By Danny BakstFebruary 27, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Dubai’s worst nightmare unfolds as Iran strikes Gulf neighbors
By Dana Khraiche, Fiona MacDonald and BloombergFebruary 28, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.