Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, right, and his companion, Cylvia Hayes, react to a welcome from attendees at in Tokyo in this 2011 file photo.PORTLAND, Ore. – The fiancee of Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has admitted that she violated the law when she married an immigrant seeking to retain residency in the United States.
Cylvia Hayes says she was paid around $5,000 for the 1997 marriage. She says she was “associating with the wrong people” struggling to put herself through college and regrets her actions.
Hayes says she did not tell the governor about the marriage until a reporter from the Willamette Week newspaper began asking questions this week.
Kitzhaber, a Democrat, is seeking a fourth term next month. He met Hayes in 2002, and they confirmed in August that they were engaged.