Oregon governor on verge of resigning
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) is on the verge of resigning, KOIN 6 reported on Friday.
He may announce his decision on Friday afternoon, the Portland television station reported.
The report is the latest development in a strange saga surrounding a corruption investigation into the governor. He is currently under scrutiny for the alleged influence that his wife has over the government, as well as her use of government funds.
Many in the state have called on him to resign, including two top Democrats in the state legislature.
Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown said Thursday that the governor had called her back to Oregon from a conference in Washington, D.C. She said in a statement he asked her to come back to Oregon to speak with him “in person and alone.”
But by the time they met, Kitzhaber had evidently decided not to step down.
“He asked me why I came back early from Washington, D.C., which I found strange,” she said. “I asked him what he wanted to talk about. The Governor told me he was not resigning, after which, he began a discussion about transition.”
Brown said she told Kitzhaber that she is ready to take over should he resign.
“This is clearly a bizarre and unprecedented situation,” she said.
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