Hayes said that she did not put money down for the property intended for growing marijuana. Ore. first lady planned pot business

Oregon’s first lady has admitted to taking part in a plan to illegally grow marijuana on a property more than a decade ago.

Gov. John Kitzhaber’s fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, acknowledged her role in the joint purchase of property in Washington state in 1997, which she and another man intended to use to grow marijuana, KOIN-TV reported on Monday evening. The purchase came four months after she was paid $5,000 to enter into an illegal marriage to an Ethiopian man to allow him to stay in the U.S., something she apologized for at a tearful press conference last week.


Hayes and another man purchased the property in November 1997 for $245,000 but stopped making payments on it in April 1998. Patrick Siemion, who sold the couple the property, said the pair “had been growing marijuana” and that it was “obvious” they had bought the property for that purpose.

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In a statement provided to KOIN-TV, Hayes acknowledged her role in the marijuana-growing scheme but contended that she did not put money down for the property.

“I am not proud of that brief period of time — I was involved in an abusive relationship with a dangerous man,” Hayes said in a statement, invoking her press conference last week. “We lived together for several months on the property in Okanogan that was intended to be the site of a marijuana-grow operation that never materialized. I was never financially involved with it. I did not pay any part of the down payment or mortgage payments. I had no money.”

Hayes said that the money she received from her illegal marriage went toward purchasing a laptop and paying for school, and not to paying for the property in Washington.

Meanwhile, Kitzhaber on Monday ordered a state ethics commission to conduct a review of Hayes’ environmental consulting business, 3E Strategies, and whether the first lady has tried to benefit financially as first lady. Hayes has advised the governor on several issues, including energy and environmental policy.

Kitzhaber announced his engagement to Hayes, Oregon’s official first lady since 2011, in August. The governor is seeking a fourth term against Republican Dennis Richardson.

This article tagged under: John Kitzhaber

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