Oregon Secretary Of State Resigns After She Took $10K A Month Consulting Marijuana Dispensary During State Audit – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned from her post Tuesday after consulting for a cannabis company that state officials were auditing.

Fagan, a Democrat, announced in a press release that she would resign, effective May 8. The resignation comes after local news outlets reported that she was receiving $10,000 a month in consulting fees from one of the state’s largest marijuana dispensaries; at the same time, the Oregon Department of Revenue and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission were auditing the franchise and the cannabis industry.

“While I am confident that the ethics investigation will show that I followed the state’s legal and ethical guidelines in trying to make ends meet for my family, it is clear that my actions have become a distraction from the important and critical work of the Secretary of State’s office,” Fagan said in a statement. “Protecting our state’s democracy and ensuring faith in our elected leaders — these are the reasons I ran for this office. They are also the reasons I will be submitting my resignation today. I want to thank the incredible staff in the Secretary of State’s office for their hard work and Oregonians for the opportunity to serve them. It has been a true honor to serve the people of Oregon.”

According to Willamette Week, Fagan confirmed that she had accepted a consulting contract with La Mota, one of the largest marijuana dispensary chains in the state. La Mota is in significant legal trouble; the Oregon…