FILE - Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, right, and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, prepare to enter the inaugural proceedings at the Oregon Capitol in Salem, Ore., Jan. 9, 2023.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Aimee Kotek Wilson, the Oregon governor’s wife, will get a state-funded adviser this week as the governor considers establishing the “Office of the First Spouse” in a move some have linked to the departure of three top aides.
Meliah Masiba, a staffer currently with the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, will join the governor’s office as an adviser on temporary rotation starting March 25, according to Elisabeth Shepard, a spokeswoman from the governor’s office.
“This six-month rotation will be to help explore the establishment of the Office of the First Spouse, a program that has been established in many states,” Shepard said in an email to OPB Saturday. “This position would also assist and support the current first spouse in her official capacity in support of the administration.”
Willamette Week first reported of the arrangement.
Related: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s chief of staff is leaving, 2 other top aides in flux
Kotek’s chief of staff Andrea Cooper, deputy chief of staff Lindsey O’Brien and special adviser Abby Tibbs are all departing the office in the coming weeks. Cooper’s last day will be March 29, Kotek’s office said, while Tibbs will transition to Oregon Health & Science University two days later. O’Brien will go on leave April 5.
The changes create a leadership vacuum in the governor’s office at a time Kotek is attempting to address massive crises facing the state, from housing to addiction. The three women make up three of four senior aides Kotek’s office lists as “executive” team. The fourth, deputy chief of staff Chris Warner, will assume the role of chief of staff.
As OPB first reported Friday, sources with knowledge of the governor’s office said the shakeup was largely due to personality conflicts between staff and Kotek’s wife. None of the sources said Kotek’s wife is trying to gain financially from her role as first lady, but many said it echoed other elements of the Cylvia Hayes scandal, which led to the resignation of Gov. John Kitzhaber. In that case, Hayes was leveraging the office for her own financial interest. Staff urged Kitzhaber to have clearer boundaries between his work life and personal life, which he did not do.
Kotek Wilson, the governor’s wife, currently attends meetings with staff to discuss behavioral health initiatives. Kotek Wilson has professional experience as a social worker. Kotek Wilson also has her own 8 x 8 office in the governor’s office building space.
“The governor makes all policy decisions on behalf of the office,” Shepard wrote.
This story may be updated.