News Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber announces his resignation

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The discussion revolves around the controversies surrounding former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and his partner, Cylvia Hayes. A federal grand jury subpoena has been issued for records related to Kitzhaber’s administration and Hayes' consulting work, highlighting potential conflicts of interest. Concerns have been raised about the legality of efforts to delete emails related to Kitzhaber's official duties, which are considered public records. Participants express frustration over perceived hubris within a dominant political party, suggesting that it fosters a culture of disregard for accountability. The situation is viewed as a long-anticipated downfall, with many in Oregon recognizing the signs of impending trouble for years. Hayes is characterized as a figure who blurs the lines between public service and private consulting, raising ethical questions about her influence and actions during Kitzhaber's tenure.
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http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-governor-resists-mounting-pressure-resign-085601228.html
The subpoena — served on the state Department of Administrative Services — demands records not just pertaining to the pair, but also to 15 others. They are people involved with the Kitzhaber administration and with companies Hayes did business with as a consultant while she was also working as an adviser to the governor.

The subpoena orders the agency to produce documents for a federal grand jury before March 10.

A spokesman for the agency, Matt Shelby, said the subpoena was received Friday afternoon. He said the agency would provide whatever requested records are in its possession.
 
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Seems like a case of too much hubris.
 
lisab said:
Seems like a case of too much hubris.

It seems that you see this in states where one party is dominant. Probably the people involved think that this means they are "safe" and can do whatever they want.
 
nsaspook said:
That most Oregon state employees are good honest people.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-32827-gov_john_kitzhabers_office_sought_to_destroy_thous.html
Apparently, Kitzhaber’s executive assistant, Jan Murdoch, sent out a request for state officials to delete emails from Kitzhaber. I would imagine this includes responses to the emails. Apparently, it would be illegal to do so, since they are public records.

One should expect emails at work to be retained as permanent records, more or less. At the previous job, we were warned not to use work email for personal matters. At the current job, one does not use equipment for personal use. Some companies may be more flexible than others, but most governments seem to discourage use of government property for personal use. In the case of Kitzhaber, there appears to be some concern that government matters and personal matters somehow got blended, if I'm interpreting the news reports correctly.
 
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nsaspook said:
None of this is a shock to most people in this state who could see this train wreck happening in slow motion for years.

http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-23203-first_lady_inc.html
Ms. Hayes seems like a set of conflicts of interest.

Hayes emerges as a strong, high-profile leader who moves effortlessly between her position as a public official and the work she performs as a private consultant.
 

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