Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: The All Kitzhaber Edition
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Friday, February 13, 2015
Jesse Cornett, GoLocalPDX Contributor
Alright folks, this week will be a little bit different. Just a little. Why? Because we know that the only story in Oregon politics that matters is the status of our current governor and his refusal to acknowledge reality and resign so that we can being to recover from our “long statewide nightmare.” Significant
stories of note are being forgotten. In lieu of a normal Hot or Not, this is going to be the all Kitzhaber Edition. Oh and whether one likes it or not, can we all agree his resignation is imminent?
HOT:
Kate Brown
When the Governor calls and asks you to hop on a plane, you do it (especially when you think it is to take over the job). To date, nobody seems able to tell just how much money it cost for the taxpayers to rush Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown home from a conference in Washington DC only for the Governor to change his mind about resigning and question her about leaving early. Now that she is here, she is feisty, calling it ”clearly a bizarre and unprecedented situation.” There is no other slicing or dicing it though, she is here, ready and waiting. I hope she is ready for the scrutiny that comes with her new role.
Would be Secretaries of State
When Kate Brown is sworn in as Governor, she will have the sole authority to appoint her successor as Secretary of State. The word on the street is that State Senator Arnie Roblan wants the job. Of course he does. So do I. By law, Brown must appoint a Democrat, which means I am technically eligible. My guess is that she is going to appoint a “Phil Keisling.” Keisling was a young legislator barely into his second term when Governor Barbara Roberts appointed him after she vacated the post due to her election as Governor. There are a host of younger legislators that would be well suited for the role: Jennifer Willliamson, Shemia Fagan, and Jessica Vega Pederson come to mind. Of course she might be wise to actually appoint Phil Keisling, now a senior statesman, in an effort to restore stability in state government and ensure a fair race for that office in the next election.
Former Chiefs of Staff/Future
When Kate Brown is sworn in as Governor, her first task will be to find a Chief of Staff. She would be well advised to ask someone of note, maybe even who has filled the role before, to step in and help her steer the ship. Tom Imeson, Chip Terhune, and Curtis Robinhold all come to mind. Though Imeson and Robinhold have worked with Kitzhaber, Imeson was just aboard for the transition, and Robinhold fled before he could be tainted by the current scandal. Governor Brown would be well advised to appoint anyone but a wild card to this critical role.
LGBT Movement
Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown is the Nation’s only openly bisexual statewide elected official. Her rise to the Governor’s Office will help continue to positive shift in recent years on LGBT issues. Brown wouldn’t be the first member of the LGBT community to serve as a governor. Governor Jim McGreevey of New Jersey came out as gay in 2004 amid scandal shortly before resigning.
Political Staffers
When the Governor resigns many of his staff will depart in the coming days and weeks. Governor Kate Brown may keep on a few of his staff at least during the legislative session to minimize disruption. By Labor Day, the staff in that office will be largely all brand new. Some will be from her Secretary of State Office, others from the lobby or a variety of other places. That creates openings for lower level staff to move up. This shake up will be the Political Staffers Full Employment act of 2015
Oregon Republicans
Oregon’s last Republican Governor was Vic Atiyeh. Last Saturday night when Atiyeh’s biographer, Scott Jorgensen spoke to the Clackamas County Republican Party he received a standing ovation when he spoke of the past and future of the party. The last Republican nominee was so far out of step politically, even the right-leaning Oregonian endorsed the scandal tainted incumbent. If the Republicans are able to find a candidate that doesn’t scare voters, they will have their clearest shot at winning a gubernatorial election in over two decades. Perhaps Jorgensen’s pep talk will encourage a lesser known, moderate Republican to rise to the challenge.
NOT:
Democratic Leaders
It took 8 days from the first call for Governor Kitzhaber’s resignation for Democratic political leaders to call for the same. Yesterday during the lunch hour, Senate President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek and State Treasurer all called for Kitzhaber to resign. They were right, if a little late to the party. None of the three has much to gain from the departure. In fact Kotek and Wheeler stand to lose: many political watchers assumed both would vie for the office in 2018 when it was an open seat. Instead, it now promises to be 2016 election with Kate Brown running as the Democratic incumbent. Now they each will have a tough choice to make: run against an incumbent of their own party in the 2016 Primary, or give her a free ride to the nomination and run in 2018 if a Republican is able to unseat her in in the 2016 General.
Tony Green
Tony Green, Secretary of State Kate Brown’s spokesperson seemed at a complete loss several times this week, including saying he didn’t know where she was during the same hour prominent Democratic leaders were calling for Kitzhaber’s ouster yesterday during the lunch hour. As the likely incoming Commander-in-Chief of the Oregon National Guard, one would hope her senior staffers might know where she is at last during the middle of a work day.
Additionally, the previous day, Green seemed unaware of the simple process of appointing a replacement saying, they were "trying to figure out what Barbara did." I doubt Governor Roberts, to whom he was referring, is his friend. Even if she was, not using the title she earned in the office is a bit too familiar, especially in such a formal setting as talking with the media and the public.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is married to the publisher of the Willamette Week. The paper has sought to keep a bright line between those roles. That challenge came to a head when Willamette Week Reporter Nigel Jaquiss took Rosenblum head on for not acting on allegations of wrongdoing by the Governor. Soon, Rosenblum released a statement but it was only to the Oregonian, snubbing her husband’s paper, stating that she was keeping her options open. On Monday of this week the Governor asked her for an independent review by her office. She quickly responded by letting him know they had already opened an investigation. Much to the Governor’s dismay, her intent was to look at criminal wrongdoing. Barely 48 hours later, the Governor appeared poised to resign before her investigation could ever take hold, suggesting she was not just late to the game, but showed up with just a few seconds left on the clock.
Have any suggestion for who is hot or who is not? Email them to me at [email protected].
Jesse is an East Portland resident, political junkie, snowboard fanatic, and former pub owner.
Related Slideshow: Timeline of Cylvia Hayes’ Life and Misdeeds
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Marriages
March 28, 1989
Hayes divorced Todd Hayes in the state of Washington
Dec. 17, 1996
Hayes divorced Doug McCarthy
July 19, 1997
King County, Washington marriage records revealed Hayes married an 18-year-old Ethiopian immigrant, Abraham B. Abraham. There was no record of the couple living together and four years and three months later they filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2002. Hayes admitted to being paid $5,000 for the marriage, which she said she used to pay for school expenses and did not report in her taxes.
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Evergreen State College
1994-1997
Hayes transferred to Evergreen from Bellevue Community College to earn a bachelor's degree in environmental studies in 1994. There she played on the woman's soccer team and was awarded academic and athletic scholarships. She stayed on at Evergreen to earn a master's degree in Environmental Studies in 1997.
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Alleged pot farm property
1997-1998
Hayes and her then boyfriend bought property in Okanogan, Washington near the Canadian border. Hayes admitted the property was intended for marijuana growth, although she said the operation “never materialized” and that she was never financially involved. However, the person who took over the property said that Hayes and her boyfriend stopped making payments and that there was evidence of marijuana being grown there. She gave up her interest in the property in April 1998.
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Bend
1998
Hayes moved from Washington to Bend, Oregon. Hayes has said she lived in a tent on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land over the summer while she got established in the area and finished her thesis.
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3EStrategies
1998
Hayes founded 3EStraegies in Bend, a clean economy consulting firm. The business was built from Earth Connections, a nonprofit organization Hayes created two years earlier. In 2009 she converted 3EStraegies into a for-profit company.
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Run for office
2002
Hayes ran for the Oregon State Legislature as the House Democratic nominee. She lost to Rep. Ben Westlund from Bend.
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Kitzhaber Divorce
2003
Governor John Kitzhaber divorced his second wife of eight years, Sharon Kitzhaber, after he left the governor’s office in 2003. The two had become engaged during Kitzhaber’s first governor campaign.
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Kitzhaber and Hayes
2009
The first media report that Kitzhaber had a new relationship with Hayes appeared in the Bend Bulletin.
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Kitzhaber Reelection
2010
Kitzhaber won a third non-consecutive term and took office as governor. He had held the title previously for two terms from 1995 to 2003. He told the press that Hayes would take on the responsibilities and roles of a first lady.
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Investigation by DOJ
August 2010
Hayes was the center of a criminal investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice surrounding a consulting contract she received from the Oregon Department of Energy. Although her firm was ranked last, it was still granted work. Hayes was never accused of any wrongdoing, but the investigation showed state officials had guided a $60,000 contract to her firm.
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Move into Mahonia Hall
December 2010
After Kitzhaber was reelected in 2010, he announced that while he'd be spending most of his time in his Portland home, when in Salem his girlfriend Cylvia Hayes would stay with him in the Governor's mansion, Mahonia Hall.
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Work for the Governor
2011-present
Hayes was placed on a seven-member team by Kitzhaber to write a 10-year energy plan. Hayes also gave speeches as the first lady and policy adviser in the area of energy issues.
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3E Contracts with Demos
March 2013
Hayes signed a $20,611 consulting contract with Resource Media, a firm that had contacted Kitzhaber’s office the year before to promote a Pacific Coast climate and energy initiative.
May 2013
Hayes signed a $40,000 contract with the nonprofit Energy Foundation, who she had worked with as part of her duties as a Kitzhaber adviser. Hayes had spoken at an Energy Foundation event in 2012 and emailed them in the start of 2013, mentioning funding for the company.
June 2013
Hayes signed a $25,000 contract with Demos. Hayes spoke and moderated a Demos panel, but was introduced as Oregon’s first lady, rather than a paid consultant.
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Engagement
Aug 2014
Kitzhaber and Hayes announced their engagement. However, no wedding date was announced.
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Expose on Hayes
Oct. 8 2014
The Willamette Week published an expose on Hayes alleging that her role as a private consultant and her position as Oregon's "first lady" presented a conflict of interest and an ethics violation.
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Confession
Oct. 9, 2014
In a press conference, Hayes admitted to an illegal green card marriage in 1997. She said that she told Governor Kitzhaber about the illegal marriage only a day before the news went public.
Oct. 13, 2014
Hayes admitted to KOIN 6 NEWS that she had lived on a property in Okanogan, WA used for growing and selling marijuana.
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Investigation called for
Oct. 14, 2014
The Oregon GOP called for an investigation into both Cylvia Hayes and the governor over allegations of self-dealing outlined in the Willamette Week.
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The bank loan
Oct. 15, 2014
The Willamette Week wrote that the Governor’s office had helped extend a government loan for a former client of Hayes’ consulting business in Bend, Oregon. The owner of a golf course was given an extension on his loan from the Oregon Department of Energy after the Department was persuaded by Kitzhaber's staff. The owner wrote a thank-you note to Hayes, Kitzhaber’s chief of staff and his business advisor for their help with the situation.
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Ethics Commission
Oct. 15, 2014
The GOP filed a complaint with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission against Kitzhaber, Hayes, and the governor's unpaid advisor Patricia McCaig. It claimed there was a “conflict of interest transactions, employment relationships, benefits from public contracts, usage of public buildings and staff for personal financial gain and business."
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Rep. Berger complaint
Oct. 16, 2014
State Representative Vicki Berger (R-Salem) filed a complaint against Hayes with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. Berger said in her statement, “I am asking for a full investigation of the possible misuse of state resources by Ms. Hayes.”
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Former boyfriend speaks
Oct. 21, 2014
Karl Topinka, Hayes' former boyfriend she owned the pot farm in Washington with, told the Daily Mail that Hayes couldn't be trusted. He also said the pot farm was all her idea and she had done the planning. Topinka said Hayes failed to tell him of her illegal marriage that had taken place shortly before.
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Ethics document
Oct. 25, 2014
Governor Kitzhaber did not list Hayes in an ethics document consisting of lobbyists he had a relationship with, GoLocalPDX reported. In a section where he was supposed to disclose “any compensated lobbyist who was associated with a business with which you or a member or your household was associated during 2013,” Kitzhaber wrote “N/A” or not applicable.
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Open records complaint
Oct. 29, 2014
GoLocalPDX.com filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Oregon against the Governor’s office for failure to comply with the open records law. A request for information to determine if the Governor had received income from Hayes’ consulting contracts was ignored for over two weeks, prompting the official complaint.
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Opponents demand records
Oct. 30, 2014
Republican governor candidate Dennis Richardson was joined by Democrat Ifeanyichukwu Diru, Kitzhaber’s primary opponent, in a press conference demanding the Governor release records relating to the scandal.
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Kitzhaber leads polls
Oct. 31, 2014
Governor Kitzhaber led by 10 points over opponent Richardson in a recent poll released by KATU a few days before the 2014 election.
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Hayes Speaks Out
Nov. 6, 2014
Cylvia Hayes made her first public statement since her confession that she had been part of an illegal sham marriage. The statement which she made via her Facebook page reads:
"I just want to thank all of you who have sent such support and encouragement over these past very challenging weeks. In the midst of the storm the positive incoming from friends, family and colleagues has been enormously helpful. Thank you for taking time to reach out."
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Federal Investigation
Cylvia Hayes could face federal fraud charges for her dual role as a private consultant and public official in the Governor’s office, a series of legal experts told GoLocalPDX.
The findings of an Oregon Ethics Commission investigation will determine whether Hayes violated state ethics laws when she accepted contracts for her private consulting firm while working in the governor’s office under the title of “Oregon’s First Lady.”
On Jan. 9, Willamette Week reported Hayes was under federal investigation, raising the specter of federal charges.
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Press Conference
Jan. 30, 2014
Governor John Kitzhaber held a press conference and responded to questions surrounding investigations, ethics violations and Cylvia Hayes. When asked if he would resign, he said “I was elected by the people of this state to do a job, and I intend to do it.”
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Plagiarism
Feb. 11, 2014
A GoLocalPDX investigation into the writings of Cylvia Hayes found portions of her Green Jobs Growth Plan: 2011-2019 report were plagiarized from a pre-existing state report.
Related Articles
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Blue Oregon, Shemia Fagan, Kurt Schrader
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Charlie Hales, Amanda Fritz, Kate Brown
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Denis Therauilt, John Kitzhaber, The Oregonian
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Ron Wyden, Ellen Rosenblum, City of Portland
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Steve Novick, Chief Reese, Cylvia Hayes
- Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Steve Novick, Reservoir Dogs, Working Class Oregonians
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