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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Volunteer security? Thanks, but no thanks ... From the Council: Public should get involved in local marijuana decisions ... Save a life: How to help someone who's contemplating suicide ... Our View: Volunteer security? Thanks, but no thanks ... From the Council: Public should get involved in local marijuana decisions ... Save a life: How to help someone who's contemplating suicide ... OUR VIEW Our View: A sad end to a historic career Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter or email ... » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter or email [email protected] . » Social News In the end, it was almost a relief. Gov. John Kitzhaber, bowing to what had become a relentless barrage of pressure from even his closest allies, resigned the office he has held longer than any other Oregon chief executive. He was defiant to the end, taking to task those colleagues who turned on him the past week and the media, which he said had "charged, tried, convicted and sentenced" him "with no due process and no independent verification" of the allegations against him. There is some truth in that. Kitzhaber served for many years in both houses of the Legislature and for three terms as governor with no hint of corruption or wrongdoing. But he never seemed to quite understand how serious the allegations were. When the first reports emerged that his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, had a rough-and-tumble past and may have used her unofficial position as Oregon's first lady to advance her clean-energy consulting business, the governor's first instinct was to defend her and dismiss the allegations. Later, as more allegations emerged, Kitzhaber continued to insist there was no wrongdoing and declared that he would not resign. The final days before the governor announced he was stepping down brought a flurry of rumors and meetings, culminating in reports that Kitzhaber had decided to resign but then changed his mind. The increasing distraction led his fellow Democrats in the legislative leadership to call for his resignation, only days after saying they still supported him. Kitzhaber still maintains he did nothing illegal. He may be right. It is entirely possible that Hayes did, however. Her apparent use of state resources to take trips as first lady that coincided with paid consulting work at best blurred the line between her government role and her private career. She was a a force within the governor's circles, including as an advocate for green energy, even as she did consulting work for companies aligned with that industry. Questions abound about her "colorful" past and her more current activities, capped by allegations that she may not have paid taxes on the income she received from some of her ethically challenged consulting work. It appears her activities may have pulled the governor across the line, or at least dangerously close to it. There are current investigations by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission and the state attorney general's office, along with a federal Department of Justice inquiry that is being described as the largest criminal investigation of a state official in Oregon history. Those inquiries should determine whether Kitzhaber or Hayes, or both, broke any laws. Amid all this, of course, the presumption of innocence has been lost. We do not believe Kitzhaber was tried by the media; the media did their job by raising questions and digging up the facts that led to the governor's departure. It is, however, a sad thing that the legacy of his commitment to Oregon was destroyed before he ever had a chance to have his day in court. Despite that, given the turmoil of the final week, resigning was really the only choice left for the governor, and he made the right decision. Had he only done the same thing earlier in his relationship with Cylvia Hayes, there would have been a far different ending to this story. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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