The possible successor to Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) said on Thursday that she was a little bit confused about why exactly Kitzhaber asked her to cut a trip short and immediately fly back to Oregon for a private meeting amid rumors that the governor was on the verge of stepping down. Kitzhaber is currently under criminal investigation.
Kitzhaber reportedly was on the verge of announcing that he would step down yesterday, but changed his mind and announced that he would remain in office. That announcement came after Kitzhaber asked Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) — the next in line to become governor — to return to Oregon immediately from Washington so that he could meet with her privately.
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Kitzhaber has said that that income did not constitute a conflict of interest that he needed to disclose.
