At 11:19 this morning, Brown sent an email detailing a very strange meeting with Kitzhaber upon her return to Oregon. She says Kitzhaber asked her to come back ASAP from Washington DC—only to then ask her, when they met, why Brown came back early to meet with him.
She called the whole saga "a bizarre and unprecedented situation." It's not reassuring. Read it. (And read our primer the scandal right here.)
Late Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from the Governor while I was in Washington, DC at a Secretaries of State conference. He asked me to come back to Oregon as soon as possible to speak with him in person and alone.
I got on a plane yesterday morning and arrived at 3:40 in the afternoon. I was escorted directly into a meeting with the Governor. It was a brief meeting. He asked me why I came back early from Washington, DC, which I found strange. 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.
This is clearly a bizarre and unprecedented situation.
I informed the Governor that I am ready, and my staff will be ready, should he resign. Right now I am focused on doing my job for the people of Oregon.
UPDATE, 12:57 pm:
Now Treasurer Ted Wheeler, another leading Democrat, has piled on, and in blunter terms. He's point-blank asking Kitzhaber to resign. ALSO: Senate President Peter Courtney has told reporters in a news conference he'd like the governor gone. House Speaker Tina Kotek feels the same way, according to the Oregonian. This is happening, people. Here's Wheeler's release:
SALEM, OR – State Treasurer Ted Wheeler released the following statement on Governor Kitzhaber:
“It is with deep sadness that I ask Governor John Kitzhaber to resign his position as Governor of Oregon. He has accomplished many great things during his long career, and history will be kinder to him than current events suggest.
“Unfortunately, the current situation has become untenable, and I cannot imagine any scenario by which things improve. Oregon deserves a Governor who is fully focused on the duties of state.
“I hope the Governor will do the right thing for Oregon and its citizens.”
