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Oregon Requests Probe Of Email Leak

File photo. At least two recall petitions have been filed against Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber.
Office of the Governor
File photo. At least two recall petitions have been filed against Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber.

The Oregon Department of Administrative Services has requested a criminal investigation over the matter of who leaked some sensitive emails to the media.

Whoever it was sent the emails to Portland's Willamette Week newspaper. The apparent leak included communication between then-governor John Kitzhaber and his attorney. Oregon's Chief Operating Officer described the leak as a "security breach" and requested an investigation by the Oregon State Police.

It's all part of the fallout over possible ethics lapses by Kitzhaber that led to his resignation last week, just one month after the Democrat took office for a fourth term.

The Willamette Week's report showed attempts by Kitzhaber and his attorney to minimize damage from an ethics investigation. A separate criminal investigation of Kitzhaber is ongoing.

Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”