Willamette Week reports Secretary of State Kate Brown is rushing back to take helm following reputed Kitzhaber resignation.
Image Credit: The Oregonian
Willamette Week reports the Secretary of State dropped everything–including a speaking engagement in Washington DC– and is now quickly returning back to Oregon. Kitzhaber’s planned tree planting for the Oregon Birthday on February 14th has been canceled. Both stories are fueling speculation of John Kitzhaber’s pending resignation.
From Willamette Week:
Her unexpected return from an east-coast conference of secretaries of state comes as Gov. John Kitzhaber is under intense pressure over an influence-peddling scandal involving himself and First Lady Cylvia Hayes.
Kitzhaber and Hayes are the subject of a criminal investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice and the FBI.
Brown would become governor if Kitzhaber resigns. WW examined her potential succession in today’s paper.
As Lars Larson puts it, “He’s chosen his girlfriend over the job.”
But let’s not go all King Edward II on this. Cylvia Hayes is no better than Wallis Simpson–in fact has less class, but let’s not fool ourselves here: John Kitzhaber is doing nothing noble by quitting now. He’s the walking advertising for ignobility. I would have had more respect for him if he’d come clean before the election.
More later.
