Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will resign from his office next Wednesday amid allegations of public corruption involving his fiancee.
Kitzhaber has received a lot of criticism since the accusations began against his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, according to NBC News. Hayes has been accused of improperly using her position as an energy policy adviser for the governor for personal gain by working with outside consulting groups. She's also been accused of failing to disclose her income from consulting work.
Hayes and Kitzhaber will face a criminal investigation. Kitzhaber's fellow Democrats started calling for his resignation earlier this week. Corruption allegations increased after another report Thursday said that Kitzhaber's office attempted to delete his personal email records.
"I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career, and indeed, my entire adult life," Kitzhaber said. "As a former presiding officer I fully understand the reasons for which I have been asked to resign."
The Oregonian newspaper called for the governor's resignation Feb. 5, but the governor refused, ABC News reported. On Tuesday, Kitzhaber called Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown back to Oregon while she visited Washington, D.C. Brown is second-in-command if anything should happen to the governor.
Brown met with Kitzhaber Wednesday where he asked her why she had returned from her trip, which Brown said was odd. Later on Wednesday, Kitzhaber once again said he would not resign from his post. However, on Thursday Oregon's attorney general Ellen Rosenblum ruled that Hayes must release her personal emails pertaining to government business.
On Friday, Kitzhaber announced that he would resign from his position as governor of Oregon. Kitzhaber had been governor for four terms, NBC News said.
