Stunning, dangerous, repressive move by Dem Gov. Kate Brown

by NW Spotlight

Punishing the whistle blowers who sought to protect emails from deletion??? Are you kidding???

Please read this article just out from the Oregonian. It is very troubling.

Kate Brown launches criminal probe of Kitzhaber email leak; two managers on leave

As the criminal law expert noted in the Oregonian “It wouldn’t be surprising if this investigation turns out to have a chilling effect on future whistleblowers/leakers.”

Wow. Just wow.

The Oregonian also reported “James Moore, a politics professor at Pacific University, said the leaker may have been a whistleblower whose primary motivation was to avoid improper destruction of public records. He called a criminal investigation ‘overkill’ and said it conflicted with Brown’s public statements embracing transparency.”

UPDATE: Is Gov. Brown seeking to distance herself from this tone deaf and chilling move? Check out the updated headline at the Oregonian after some “new information from state officials”: Top official in Kate Brown administration launches criminal probe of Kitzhaber email leak – as noted above, the article had this headline earlier today: Kate Brown launches criminal probe of Kitzhaber email leak; two managers on leave

Michael Jordan, DAS director (“Jordan is Brown’s highest ranking administrator, reporting directly to her”, and “Jordan was one of Kitzhaber’s closest allies in state government”), requested the investigation. Gov. Brown either needs to sack Jordan ASAP if he did this without her knowledge OR she needs to explain to Oregonians and state workers why they are taking actions that will no doubt be seen as severe retribution for whistle blowing and standing up to requests to delete evidence, AND she’d need to explain HOW ON EARTH this takes precedence over all the investigations into Kitzhaber and Cylvia Hayes!!!

UPDATE: The Salem Statesman Journal now has an article – Oregon State Police begins probe into leaked emails

UPDATE: (KATU 2/25/2015) Law professor: Source of leaked former Gov. Kitzhaber emails could be protected by whistleblower laws

UPDATE: (Oregonian 2/25/2015) With IRS, FBI investigating Kitzhaber, Oregon DAS head Michael Jordan (who reports to Gov. Kate Brown) denies punishing managers for preserving evidence

UPDATE: (Oregonian 2/26/2015) Claim: State data center managers ‘in trouble’ for talking to Kitzhaber-Hayes investigators – OSP detective says investigation “purely political”