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SALEM, Ore. Despite speculation about John Kitzhabers future as governor of Oregon, he released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying he has no plans to step down.
Let me be as clear as I was last week, that I have no intention of resigning as Governor of the state of Oregon, he said. I was elected to do a job for the people of this great state and I intend to continue to do so.
Questions arose early Wednesday morning after Secretary of State Kate Brown abruptly left a conference in Washington, D.C., and made an unscheduled return to Oregon.
Browns return comes as Kitzhaber faces calls for his resignation. Brown would become governor if Kitzhaber leaves office before the end of his term.
The Oregonian reported that agency heads were being summoned Wednesday to the governors office as rumors of a pending resignation dominated conversations inside the Capitol.
A source told KGW that the governor met privately Tuesday with House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney.
Meanwhile, Kitzhabers lawyer, Jim McDermott, said the governor told him Wednesday morning hes not resigning.
A spokesman for Brown, Tony Green, said he doesnt know why Brown suddenly left the conference for the National Association of Secretaries of State. She is president of the organization.
Green said Brown was originally scheduled to return late Friday.
It wasnt clear whether Browns unscheduled return had anything to do with the influence-peddling allegations surrounding Kitzhaber and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes.
Kitzhaber is facing the biggest crisis of his nearly four-decade political career. Newspapers have called for his resignation over allegations that Hayes used the governors office to land contracts for her consulting business. The state attorney general has launched a criminal investigation and the ethics investigation has been suspended.
Brown and Kitzhaber are both Democrats.
Kitzhaber canceled a Feb. 14 appearance at a tree-planting event in Tigard.
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