Gov. John Kitzhaber announced he will resign, effective February 18, 2015. The governor is the target of a criminal investigation involving payments he authorized to his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, as a paid consultant to the state. The first couple was also named in three ethics complaints from 2014 surrounding the consulting payments.

Earlier this week, top state leaders, including Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, told Kitzhaber he should resign as details of the scandal began to unfold.

Secretary of State Kate Brown will become the governor of Oregon as a result of Kitzhaber’s resignation.

Photo of Gov. John Kitzhaber by Jonathan Maus on Wikipedia Commons.