Democrats in Oregon are asking the governor to resign
In Oregon, Senate President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek, and other top Democrats have asked Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) to resign amid an ethics scandal.
Kitzhaber's fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, is being investigated over work she has done for the state and for failing to disclose income to the IRS, and lawmakers are afraid the scandal is hurting Oregon. State Treasurer Ted Wheeler released a statement Thursday saying it was with "deep sadness" that he asked Kitzhaber to step down. "Unfortunately, the current situation has become untenable, and I cannot imagine any scenario by which things improve," he said. "Oregon deserves a governor who is fully focused on the duties of state."
Kitzhaber had decided to resign on Tuesday but changed his mind after meeting with his attorney and Hayes on Wednesday, The Oregonian reports. Earlier, he had called Secretary of State Kate Brown back to Oregon from a conference in Washington, D.C., in order to have the second-in-command back in the state, but Kitzhaber told KOIN 6 News on Wednesday night: "She is the vice president, second in line, but I have no intention to resign. I will do the job I was elected to do."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The environmental cost of GLP-1sThe explainer Producing the drugs is a dirty process
-
Nuuk becomes ground zero for Greenland’s diplomatic straitsIN THE SPOTLIGHT A flurry of new consular activity in Nuuk shows how important Greenland has become to Europeans’ anxiety about American imperialism
-
‘This is something that happens all too often’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
-
Judge rejects California’s ICE mask ban, OKs ID lawSpeed Read Federal law enforcement agents can wear masks but must display clear identification
-
Lawmakers say Epstein files implicate 6 more menSpeed Read The Trump department apparently blacked out the names of several people who should have been identified
