Oregon ethics watchdog says John Kitzhaber misused his office for personal gain
Source: The Oregonian
Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber's decision to place his fiancee Cylvia Hayes in a powerful state policy role while she continued to do paid advocacy work set off a cascade of ethics violations, according to a new report from the state's ethics watchdog.
In a report released Wednesday, staffers for the Oregon Government Ethics commission listed 11 instances in which Kitzhaber likely violated state laws that bar public officials from accepting gifts, using their positions for personal gain and failing to publicly disclose and avoid conflicts of interest.
Kitzhaber actively helped Hayes gain clout and lucrative work as a consultant by speaking at her events, granting her access to top-level government gatherings and insisting she be allowed to influence state policies, they found.
Last month, the commission concluded that Hayes broke the same state ethics laws on 22 occasions . Private groups paid the former first lady more than $200,000 to promote green energy and economic policies. They have yet to decide how to penalize her but could fine her as much as $110,000.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/02/oregon_ethics_watchdog_says_jo.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
