PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Shemia Fagan, whose stunning decision to resign last week after ethical questions arose surrounding her consulting work with a cannabis company, officially stepped down as Oregon Secretary of State on Monday.
Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers became Acting Secretary of State at 1 p.m. Myers was sworn into office when she was originally appointed. Fagan was taken off the Secretary of State website Monday afternoon.
“Under that oath, she already has the power to perform any act or duty of the Secretary of State pertaining to the office,” said Oregon Secretary of State Communications Director Ben Morris.
Before her position as deputy secretary, Myers was the Director of Economic & Business Equity in the Governor’s Office. She was also Chief of Staff for the Higher Education Commission and an Operations & Engagement Director for Educator Advancement in the Chief Education Office.
Hours before taking over as Secretary of State, Myers said in a release: “This is a resilient agency, with strong division leadership and internal systems that can withstand change. We are ready to continue the important work of the Secretary of State’s office during this transition.”
Myers added that she does “not expect any interruptions in service during the transition.”
Gov. Tina Kotek will appoint a new secretary of state, but no timeframe for that appointment has yet been released.
Fagan’s swift downfall
Shemia Fagan’s paid consulting contract for Veride Holding LLC — which is affiliated with the cannabis company La Mota — came while her office was auditing the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
The secretary voluntarily recused herself from the audit, which looked into the OLCC’s regulation of the state’s cannabis industry and concluded that Oregon’s laws are hindering cannabis businesses.
In a February 15 letter to her staff regarding her consulting contract with the company, Fagan stated, “I do not believe a real conflict exists because any action required would be taken by the legislature or OLCC and any benefit could flow to all cannabis companies in Oregon, not this specific company.”
Nevertheless, the optics were terrible. And just one day after a press conference where she admitted to “poor judgment,” Fagan announced her resignation, effective May 8.
In her resignation letter, Fagan said “it’s clear that my actions have become a distraction from the important and critical work of the secretary of state’s office. 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 am submitting my resignation now.”
Kotek accepted the resignation. In a statement the governor said she “support[s] this decision. It is essential that Oregonians have trust in their government. I believe this is a first step in restoring that trust.”
Fagan, 41, was a rising star in state politics. She was a state representative from 2013 to 2017, later becoming a state senator in 2019. She was elected secretary of state in 2021.