Democrats in Oregon are asking the governor to resign

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D).
(Image credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.