Salem, Ore. – Today Governor John Kitzhaber answered questions from reporters over ethics allegations in connection with his fiancee Cylvia Hayes.
He says he won’t resign, that he still loves Hayes and they still plan to marry.
He started the news conference with a quick admission that a new allegation that Hayes falsified tax returns is “very serious.”
One allegation Allegations have been raised in the last few days on whether she’s falsified tax returns… He’s reiewed forms on reporting relationships between Hayes and government issues.
He also said in October that Sylvia’s role in the administration would be different after the election. The issues have become a “distraction” and wants to make if very clear that she will have no policy role no political role in this administration for the .
Here’s more Q and A from this morning’s news conference:
Conservative Radio Talk Show Host Lars Larson: “When groups were paying Hayes for consulting fees and were attempting to influence government policy does that violate Oregon law because they were seeking to influence your decisions as Governor?”
Kitzhaber: “As I said before we knew there was a ‘grey area’. We really tried to separate her volunteer activity with her role as first lady…. We are fully cooperating with the Ethics Commission….”
Lars: “But when a group that’s seeking to push a low carbon fuel standard that you already favor, when a group pays Hayes something like $100,000 it would appear to Oregonians that she was paid in an effort to influence you…”
Kitzhaber: “There are two parts to this question – Cylvia and I have some areas of common interests – climate change being one- low carbon fuels being one – the fact that we convergence of interests does not seem to imply that those issues in my administration were influenced- I don’t buy the basic premise. The question is whether her activities and contracts or my activities violated Oregon Ethics Laws.”
Lars Larson: “Would you call for an independent investigation? One where members are not named by you to come in and look at all of this and see if laws were violated……Whether or not she benefited from her position and whether or not you, since you shared a household with her benefited from her consulting fees.”
Kitzhaber (more detailed explanation) “I still don’t think that is necessary.”
“I’ve been doing this for a long time in Oregon, since 1979. I’ve set standards for myself and for the office that are actually quite high.”
Another reporter asking him if he would consider resigning and he responded – “of course not.”
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