Oregon Secretary Of State Shemia Fagan Resigns Over Lucrative Yet Controversial Cannabis Job

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan (D) resigned Tuesday following a public scandal related to the controversial cannabis consultant job she took as a side gig. Her resignation will be effective Monday, May 8.

The news comes on the heels of Fagan’s termination of her contract with Veriede Holdings, LLC., an affiliate of the troubled marijuana company La Mota. During a Monday press conference, Fagan apologized to the people of Oregon.

Announcing her resignation as Secretary of State, Fagan issued the following statement:

“While I am confident that the ethics investigation will show that I followed the state’s legal and ethical guidelines in trying to make ends meet for my family, it is clear that my actions have become a distraction from the important and critical work of the Secretary of State’s office,” Fagan stated. “Protecting our state’s democracy and ensuring faith in our elected leaders – these are the reasons I ran for this office. They are also the reasons I will be submitting my resignation today. I want to thank the incredible staff in the Secretary of State’s office for their hard work and Oregonians for the opportunity to serve them. It has been a true honor to serve the people of Oregon." 

“At this time, I believe it is in the best interest of our state for me to focus on my children, my family, and personal reflection so that the Secretary of State staff can continue to offer the exemplary customer service Oregonians deserve.” 

Oregon Gov. Accepts Resignation

Oregon governor Tina Kotek (D) who previously called on the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to investigate Fagan's actions, commented on Fagan’s resignation:

“This morning, Secretary Fagan informed me of her decision to resign,” Kotek said. “I support this decision. It is essential that Oregonians have trust in their government. I believe this is a first step in restoring that trust. During the upcoming appointment process, my office will do everything possible to support the hard-working staff in the Secretary of State’s office and ensure this will not disrupt the May 16 election.”

Until the Governor’s office finds an appropriate replacement, Deputy Secretary Cheryl Myers (D) will serve as the interim Secretary of State.

Kotek asked the state Department of Justice last week to look into a recent audit because Fagan took the consultant's job with a salary of $10,000 a month while in charge of overseeing the state audit.

Several hours after the press conference announcing the audit, Republican lawmakers called for Fagan’s resignation. 

“This appears to be an ethics violation and if it isn’t, then Oregon’s ethics laws are broken,” Senate Republican leader Tim Knopp and House Republican leader Vikki Breese-Iverson said in a joint statement

La Mota's owners, Rosa Cazares and her partner Aaron Mitchell as well as the businesses they control gave $200,000 to Democratic politicians, including $45,000 to Fagan.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images on Wikimedia Commons and by Jakub Matyáš on Unsplash