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."
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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