Lars Larson: Voters elected Kotek … not her wife

By Lars Larson
NW and national radio host,

Voters in Oregon elected Tina Kotek Governor.

They did NOT elect Kotek’s wife.

Yet Aimee Kotek now has a formal role inside the Governor’s office.

She also has taxpayer paid staff who answer to her.

Nigel Jaquiss at Willamette week broke the story that First Spouse Aimee now makes decisions for Oregonians who don’t even know her name.

Foolish doesn’t begin to describe this nepotism.

Apparently some of Governor Kotek’s top staff members agree.

Her Chief of Staff just left over problems caused by bringing the Governor’s wife onboard. So did special adviser Abby Tibbs…and another staffer went on leave.

Now, consider what Oregon Revised Statute 162. Dot 415 says

Official misconduct in the first degree

A public servant commits the crime of official misconduct in the first degree

If with intent to obtain a benefit…

The public servant knowingly performs an act constituted an unauthorized exercise in official duties.

I’ll remind you we have seen this movie before and it doesn’t have a happy ending.

Less than ten years ago, one Governor installed his grifter girlfriend in his office, apparently illegally.

It did not end well, although it was temporarily very lucrative for John Kitzhaber and Cylvia Hayes.

And in that case, it led to Kitzhaber’s resignation a month after he was inaugurated into office…followed by the accidental Governor Kate Brown, who disastrously seized emergency pandemic powers over private citizens.

Now, Kotek has added her own personal Yoko Ono, without even talking to the rest of the band.