Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s Fiancée Paid To Marry Immigrant Under Fire Again

Cylvia Hayes, fiancée of Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, was paid to enter into a fraudulent marriage to supposedly help an Ethiopian immigrant remain in the United States. She admitted the 1997 arraignment last week, but is now under fire for a number of other questionable dealings from her past.

KOIN-TV reported late Monday that Hayes partnered with a man to buy land intended for an illegal marijuana growing operation, also in 1997. Hayes and her partner — a man — contracted to buy the $245,000 property in Washington state beginning with a $15,000 down payment in November of that year. However, the seller told the station that Hayes and her partner stopped making payments shortly after. Public records reveal that Hayes gave up her interest in the property in April 1998 and, just three months later, she moved to Oregon.

The governor’s fiancée, who is already the First Lady of Oregon, blamed her past indiscretions on being in an abusive relationship.

Hayes issued a statement saying that she was “not proud of that brief period of time” and claimed that “I was involved in an abusive relationship with a dangerous man.” However, those intimately involved with the deal tell a very different story than Ms. Hayes, who put out the tears in front of the cameras last week.

“There was somewhat of a leader-follower [dynamic] there, and she was leading and the gentleman was following,” Patrick Siemion, the real estate broker told KOIN. Speaking to the Oregonian, as well, Siemion said she was the predominant speaker and decision-maker in the relationship.

“She did all the talking, all the negotiating,” Siemion said. “I remember her saying, `Oh this is just the perfect place, we’re so happy to have it.'”

Siemion also told The Oregonian that he found marijuana trimmings in an upstairs bedroom after the property went into foreclosure, and found fertilizer and irrigation tubing, which is clear evidence of a marijuana growing operation.

But the illegal drug-growing property and the illegal marriage aren’t even the end of her questionable deeds. Hayes, who of course is engaged to the chief policy agenda-maker in the state, is also under fire for receiving money from organizations seeking to influence state policy.

Kitzhaber, who is now seeking a fourth term in the November election, got engaged to Hayes over the summer. State Rep. Dennis Richardson, his Republican opponent, argued that Hayes’ inappropriate influence on policy is just the latest piece of evidence that Kitzhaber’s administration is “inept and unethical.”

The governor says his office has taken steps to ensure Hayes’ consulting work doesn’t pose a conflict of interest, including ordering a review of her contracts before she agreed to work. However, as both media outlets note, all three contracts made public by the governor’s office were only reviewed after the fact, or after they went into effect.

PPD’s 2014 Governor Map Predictions model has moved the race from “Safe Democrat” to “Likely Democrat” for the time being.

“This story is now gaining traction and, while we take the time to assess the damage this rating change is certainly warranted,” PPD’s senior political analyst Richard D. Baris said.