Gov. Brown sorry after public records advocate quits, aide declines court nod
SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown’s general counsel declined an appointment to the Court of Appeals after the state’s public records advocate accused him of unethical behavior, a situation Brown apologized for on Tuesday.
Public Records Advocate Ginger McCall resigned last week after it became known that Brown’s top lawyer, Misha Isaak, tried to pressure her into supporting the governor’s policies while keeping that role secret. McCall abruptly resigned on Sept. 9.
Brown accepted responsibility after earlier blaming her staff.
“I deeply regret that controversies have been created and acknowledge that I am ultimately accountable,” she said in a statement. The Democratic governor insisted in an interview in her office Tuesday that she’s committed to improving the level of transparency and openness in state government.
McCall’s resignation and the release of contemporaneous notes showing her interactions with Isaak have raised doubts about whether Brown is serious about transparency. It led to demands that she rescind her appointment of Isaak to the Court of Appeals. She said Isaak declined the appointment and that she did not push him into the decision.
Read more: https://www.registerguard.com/news/20190917/gov-brown-sorry-after-public-records-advocate-quits-aide-declines-court-nod
(Eugene Register Guard)