This post was updated at 1:26 p.m.
Long-time Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has announced his resignation amid allegations his fiancee used her relationship with him to enrich herself.
Kitzhaber said his resignation would be effective on Wednesday. In a statement on Friday, he apologized to the people who helped him get re-elected in November and supported him for the past three decades.
He said it was not in his nature to "walk away from a job I have undertaken."
The announcement is a stunning fall from grace for the state's longest-serving chief executive.
Kitzhaber has consistently maintained that he and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, worked hard to avoid conflicts between her public and private roles.
Update, 1:18 p.m.: Long-time Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has announced his resignation amid an ethics scandal.
Original post: A person with direct knowledge of the plan says Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber plans to resign amid allegations his fiancee used her relationship with him to enrich herself.
The announcement is a stunning fall from grace for the state's longest-serving chief executive. The person spoke only on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to talk about the governor's plan.
The decision on Friday capped a wild week in which Kitzhaber seemed poised to step down, then changed his mind, but ultimately bowed to calls from legislative leaders that he quit the state's top job.
Secretary of State Kate Brown, a Democrat like Kitzhaber, will assume the office. She will also be the nation's first openly bisexual governor.
Kitzhaber has consistently maintained that he and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, worked hard to avoid conflicts between her public and private roles.