John Kitzhaber apologized Wednesday for failing to publicly declare a potential conflict of interest between his elected position and his partner’s work and will pay a $1,000 fine, capping a scandal that cost him the governorship. The settlement is subject to final approval by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, which meets on Friday. “I apologize to Oregonians for failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest, although the ethical violations at issue were wholly unintentional,” Kitzhaber said in a statement. The ethics commission said there were potential conflicts of interest when Kitzhaber’s duties as governor overlapped with the issues that Hayes’ consulting firm, 3E Strategies, was receiving payment for. 3E Strategies could have had financial gains or losses stemming from Kitzhaber’s policy decisions and public appearances, the commission said.

Source: National Post November 15, 2017 18:56 UTC