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Consumed by an influence-peddling scandal, John Kitzhaber, Oregon's only four-term governor, has resigned.

 that Kitzhaber made the announcement in a statement. OPB reports:


Kitzhaber, a Democrat, had for weeks resisted calls for his resignation, but yesterday, he lost the support of two of the state's most prominent Democrats — Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek.


Kitzhaber's resignation is in a lot of ways the climax of 

that began last fall, when the governor's longtime girlfriend, who has assumed the role of first lady,

 admitted that she had received $5,000 to marry a an Ethiopian man who wanted a green card

Since then, report after report has emerged about how the first lady may have used her access to the governor's mansion to make money. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has started investigating Kitzhaber and Hayes.

Update at 5:18 p.m. ET. Sad Day For Oregon: 

Kate Brown, who will become Oregon's new governor, said in a statement:

Politics and Government News

In a statement, Gov. John Kitzhaber apologized to "all those people who gave of their faith, time, energy and resources to elect me to a fourth term last year."

Amid influence-peddling scandal, Oregon governor resigns

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