Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber resigns from office amidst ethics scandal
February 13, 2015
By Nick Katers
Salem, Oregon: A tumultuous week of political intrigue and scandal in otherwise-placid Oregon continued today with the resignation of Gov. John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber, who had been embroiled in an ethics scandal since October 2014, will step down effective February 18, 2015. Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) will assume office and serve until the state holds a special election for the office during a regularly scheduled election in November 2016.[1]
Kitzhaber's resignation is unique in the state's history, as all four governors who previously resigned from the office did so due to appointments or illness. His troubles began in October 2014, when a trio of ethics complaints alleged conflicts of interest by the governor's fiancee, Cylvia Hayes. Hayes worked as a political advisor to the governor while also earning income as a consultant for New York-based think tank Demos, which sought implementation of an economic initiative called the Genuine Progress Indicator.[2]
Kitzhaber won re-election in November 2014, but the story snowballed in January 2015 after Hayes acknowledged unreported income from her consulting work. Pressure grew on Kitzhaber to step down from office in February as two recall efforts were initiated, emails confirming ethical lapses emerged and stories about his office's efforts to delete emails sparked public outrage.[3]
Brown, the secretary of state since her inauguration in January 2009, assumes the governor's office as the next in line of succession and becomes the first LGBT governor in state history.[4] She previously served as the Majority Leader of the Oregon State Senate from 2004 to 2008, covering the last four years of a 12-year career in the chamber. Brown was involved in a controversy in 2012 surrounding her handling of a missed election date for the Commissioner of Labor and Industries race that year. In her capacity as governor, Brown will select her successor in the secretary of state's office, who will serve until the next scheduled election in 2016.
See also
- Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber
- John Kitzhaber recall, Oregon (2015)
- Governor of Oregon
- John Kitzhaber
- Demos
- Cylvia Hayes
- Genuine Progress Indicator
- United States gubernatorial resignations
Footnotes
- ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "NEWS RELEASE: Governor Kitzhaber Announces Resignation," February 13, 2015
- ↑ The Oregonian, "John Kitzhaber controversy: Cylvia Hayes directed state officials on policy she was being paid to promote, emails show," February 6, 2015
- ↑ Willamette Week, "Gov. John Kitzhaber's Office Sought To Destroy Thousands of His Emails," February 12, 2015
- ↑ Political Wire, "Oregon Will Have First Openly Bisexual Governor," February 13, 2015
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