The Mother of all Catfights - Kelley Wirth downfall
Beachcomber
It just gets more bizarre (and entertaining!) with each passing day.
Check out the latest from the FOX-KPTV News site.
You have a beautiful young state representative, an alleged sordid
affair with a Salem capitol janitor - The janitor's jealous mate who
will stop at nothing, including attempted murder and aggravated
battery to bring this woman down. ... And now, the woman who
seemingly had the upper hand and was wronged by all of this is caught
with user quantities of meth and might face up to 5 years in jail (She
who recently was the lone vote not to increase the penalties for meth
possession!).
In addition to all her other troubles, the janitor is now said to be
suing her for sexual harassment, claiming she threatened to "cry rape"
if their affair was discovered. And then the latest is that there is
a hint of a scandal and a cover-up on the part of other state reps who
were said to have knowledge of these illegal activities on the part of
Kelley Wirth. The Democrats, including Gov. Kulongoski are just
hemming and hawing about demanding her resignation although they still
don't know how to handle this.
What a disgrace for the State of Oregon... Soap operas do not have
plot lines as good as this...
Beachcomber
Larry Caldwell
(Beachcomber) says...
> What a disgrace for the State of Oregon... Soap operas do not have
> plot lines as good as this...
Since the decline of interest in local government, half the legislature
is made up of nut cases you wouldn't want in your house. This just
happens to be one who got exposed, but if you knew them all, she would
vanish in the crowd.
Beachcomber
wrote:
Update: 10/27/05
Veteran Ace KATU-TV Salem Bureau Reporter Eric Mason was forced to
resign his position for allegedly having a one time "relationship"
with Kelley Wirth and supposedly violating journalistic standards and
ethics.
Mr. Mason is contesting his termination as unfair.
This woman is trouble..... TROUBLE....
Beachcomber
Lobby Dosser
snip
> Update: 10/27/05
>
> Veteran Ace KATU-TV Salem Bureau Reporter Eric Mason was forced to
> resign his position for allegedly having a one time "relationship"
> with Kelley Wirth and supposedly violating journalistic standards and
> ethics.
A 'one time relationship'? First time I've heard it called that! On the
hood of his car? Where?
>
> Mr. Mason is contesting his termination as unfair.
>
> This woman is trouble..... TROUBLE....
But apparently Easy!
>
>
> Beachcomber
>
>
>
>
Beachcomber
>> Update: 10/27/05
>>
>> Veteran Ace KATU-TV Salem Bureau Reporter Eric Mason was forced to
>> resign his position for allegedly having a one time "relationship"
>> with Kelley Wirth and supposedly violating journalistic standards and
>> ethics.
>
>A 'one time relationship'? First time I've heard it called that! On the
>hood of his car? Where?
Update: 10/30/05
Janitor gets restraining order against embattled Rep. Wirth
07:57 AM PST on Sunday, October 30, 2005
Associated Press
SALEM -- A Salem man who works as a janitor at the Oregon Capitol has
been granted a restraining order against state Rep. Kelley Wirth,
D-Corvallis, who is already facing charges of possession of
methamphetamine.
In the order, Marion Circuit Court Judge Dennis J. Graves agreed with
Fernando Mendez's contention that he had had a "sexually intimate"
relationship with Wirth in the past two years.
Wirth, who has resigned her legislative seat effective Nov. 15, has
consistently denied that relationship, although Mendez's fiancee, Lisa
Temple, admitted to hitting Wirth with her car last month after
finding out about the alleged affair.
Wirth was hospitalized with injuries, and Temple has been charged with
attempted murder.
Salem police later found a small amount of methamphetamine in Wirth's
car, which was damaged in the attack. Wirth, 40, was cited for
possession of meth, a felony.
The Monday court order forbids Wirth from attempting to enter Mendez's
home, or from contacting or attempting to contact him in person, by
phone or by mail. The judge increased the standard $5,000 fine for
violating the order to $10,000.
According to a report in The Oregonian, in a handwritten statement to
the court, Mendez said he was in his car with his child, leaving his
Salem residence Oct. 20 when Wirth drove up in a white pickup.
Mendez, 27, said that Wirth started yelling at him, saying it was "all
your fault you (expletive expletive)," and blocked his car with her
car.
"I am in fear she may show up again and do harm to my home or myself,
also my children. Do (sic) to her anger regarding the case," Mendez
wrote.
Mendez has been on paid leave from his Capitol building job since his
fiancee hit Wirth.
Wirth has not spoken publicly since her arrest.
Also this week, a Portland television reporter was asked to resign
from his job for having a personal relationship in the past with
Wirth. Eric Mason, the reporter in question, said he did nothing wrong
and is pursuing a breach of contract claim against KATU, an ABC
affiliate.
Wirth did tell police she had a personal relationship with Mason, who
had covered the state Capitol for KATU for nearly four years.
--- Publlic Service Announcement from the Oregon House of Reps.
"Watch out for Kelley this Halloween. Be very... very... afraid."
Beachcomber
Beachcomber
wrote:
>Has anyone been following this story on State Rep. Kelley Wirth?
>
>It just gets more bizarre (and entertaining!) with each passing day.
Wirth goes out with a bang!
Your Oregon Democratic Representative in action... Rep. Wirth shows
what she thinks about Oregon taxpayers.
Hey Kelley! Wouldn't it be fair to give Eric Mason some of that
money? The man lost his job because of his relationship with you!
-------------
Wirth issues resignation after giving raises
10:24 AM PST on Wednesday, November 9, 2005
By kgw.com and AP Staff
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Ore. State Rep. Kelley Wirth, who turned in her
resignation Tuesday after being charged with methamphetamine
possession, has spent her last weeks in office awarding raises to her
staff, including her mother.
Records obtained by The Oregonian show that Wirth has listed her
mother, Kathleen Panknin, as an aide for more than two years. Wirth
paid her mother $3,000 a month on July 1 and raised it to $3,500 in
mid-October. Last week, Wirth submitted papers to raise her mother's
pay to $6,500 a month.
Two other staff members got raises from $500 a week to $750 a week as
of Nov. 1. One of them, Wirth spokeswoman Marti Barlow, told the
newspaper that she was unaware of the pay boost
.
"My work for her was done, as of the end of this past month," Barlow
said.
Wirth, D-Corvallis, has not spoken to reporters for weeks and could
not be reached for comment Tuesday.
But Anne M. Martens, the Oregon Secretary of State’s chief of
communications, confirmed Wednesday that Wirth had turned in her
official resignation, in the form of a short, hand-written letter on
official letterhead, early the previous evening.
“Effective November 15, 2005, I resign my position as State
Representative, District 16,” Wirth wrote in the letter.
Martens said Wirth has until Monday, November 14, at 5 p.m. to change
her mind and withdraw the resignation.
Meantime, House Minority Leader Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, said Wirth's
last-minute spending was inappropriate and he has asked Wirth to take
back the raises.
Oregon legislators get $33,228 in taxpayer money to pay for office
staff and supply costs between legislative sessions. Legislators are
allowed to pay their staff whatever they want as long as they don't
exceed their budget.
Wirth, 40, a single mother of two young daughters, announced her plans
to resign from the Legislature on Oct. 14, a day after being cited for
possession of what Salem police said was a small amount of
methamphetamine found in her car. Her resignation is to take effect
Nov. 15.
Martens said Wirth must be replaced within 30 days from the effective
date of her resignation.
Policy calls for a committee to recommend three to five people for the
position who are registered Democrats and have lived in the district
for at least one year. Then, county commissioners will vote to select
one person from that list. If the county cannot agree on a
replacement, then the Governor will appoint one.
Wirth, who pleaded innocent to the drug charge, is recovering from
injuries suffered when she was struck by a car driven by a woman who
says Wirth was having an affair with her boyfriend -- a janitor at the
state Capitol. Wirth denies she had an affair with him.
The driver, Lisa Temple, 23, is in custody charged with attempted
murder.
----
Beachcomber