First lady Aimee Kotek Wilson’s position in her wife’s governor’s office, Tina Kotek’s, has been the subject of a complaint, which the Oregon Government Ethics Commission acknowledged today.
As reported by WW, Andrea Cooper, Kotek’s chief of staff, and two other senior staff members abruptly left the governor’s office last week.
The departures are connected to a disagreement between the governor and her staff on Kotek Wilson’s job, multiple people with knowledge of the inner workings of that office have told.
One of the governor’s major objectives is behavioral health, and the first lady, who has a master’s degree in social work and clinical experience, has attended several staff meetings on the subject.
Kotek Wilson has an office in the governor’s crowded suite of offices and is upgraded with security from the Oregon State Police dignitary protection unit, despite the fact that Oregon law does not define the first lady’s role or funding. Kotek also moved a staff member from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to support Kotek Wilson.
Kotek Wilson is serving in her capacity as an unpaid volunteer, and there is no indication that she is hoping to make money from her position in the governor’s office.
Still, today the OGEC, which upholds state ethics laws, received a complaint from an unidentified source. Among other things, those regulations forbid using public position for personal benefit and conflicts of interest.
Susan V. Myers, executive director of OGEC, responded to a question by saying that her organization had received a complaint, but she would not elaborate.
The governor’s spokesperson, Elisabeth Shepard, claims that Kotek’s office has not yet received the complaint.
According to Oregon state ethics regulations, “we will review and respond to any complaint upon receipt,” Shepard declares. “As this is a pending complaint, we have no further comments.”
