SALEM, Ore. — Governor Tina Kotek announced that her office is planning to ask the Oregon Government Ethics Commission questions Friday, about what role her wife can have in her administration. On Wednesday, Kotek said she is not making any immediate changes into the role of her wife, Aimee Kotek-Wilson, as First Spouse.
This comes after a new advisor joined Kotek’s office late last month to help Kotek-Wilson establish her own office, according to a spokesperson for the governor's office.
“We want to do this as transparently as possible,” Kotek said.
Starting March 25, Meliah Masiba from the Department of Administrative Services began working with Kotek-Wilson for the next six months to "explore the establishment of the Office of the First Spouse, a program that has been established in many states. This position would also assist and support the current First Spouse in her official capacity in support of the Administration."
On Wednesday, Kotek said her wife could help Oregon battle an addiction crisis. Kotek-Wilson has a master's degree in social work. She has also attended several behavioral health-related meetings, regularly attends weekly meetings on Kotek's schedule and travel plans and attend some events on behalf of the governor's office.
“She is an unpaid volunteer with both lived and professional experience on an issue that is important to Oregonians,” Kotek said.
In March, Kotek directed the Oregon State Police to provide security for all events Kotek-Wilson attends as well.
"It is commonplace in other states that first spouses have security protection," Kotek said.
Still, Kotek’s decision to potentially create an office for her spouse coincided with three top staffers in the governor’s office leaving their positions. On Wednesday, Kotek sidestepped questions about whether those resignations had anything to do with the possible creation of an office for the First Spouse.
"Those are personnel decisions and I have not commented on that," Kotek said.
The decision to potentially create an office for the first spouse comes after Governor John Kitzhaber resigned in 2015, amid a scandal over his fiancee’s role in his administration. At the time, Gov. Kotek, then house speaker, was among those who called for his resignation.
When asked Wednesday if spouses of agency directors should have roles in government, Kotek said no. She said she also didn’t see a connection between that question, and the office of the spouse she is creating. Kotek mentioned the first spouse is already a government official under state law.
"I don't believe it's apples to apples, and you're talking about the spouses of directors of agencies,” Kotek said. “I guess I don't see the comparison."
Questions that Kotek’s office files to the ethics commission will be publicly available on Friday.