Jeff Manning and Hillary Borrud | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Former Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes sought protection from her creditors in bankruptcy court Tuesday.

Hayes — who was caught up in an influence-peddling scandal that forced her fiance, Gov. John Kitzhaber, from office — filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection after a protracted battle over public records with The Oregonian/OregonLive.

A judge ruled that Hayes should pay the news organization's legal fees, about $125,000.

Hayes owes between $100,001 and $500,000 to 49 creditors, according to the initial filing. She lists the value of her total assets at $100,001 to $500,000.

Hayes could also end up owing tens of thousands of dollars in fines to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. In January, the panel found 22 instances in which the former first lady violated state ethics laws, including a prohibition against public officials using their positions for personal gain.

If the commission imposes the maximum fine of $5,000 per violation, the penalty could total $110,000, but Hayes has been negotiating a settlement with the state. The commission's executive director, Ron Bersin, has previously declined to speculate on whether ethics fines could be modified in bankruptcy. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The Oregonian/OregonLive filed a public records request for Hayes' emails discussing state business in late 2014, after questions arose about the overlap between her public role and private contracting. But Hayes argued she was not subject to public records laws.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and a Marion County judge ultimately sided with The Oregonian/OregonLive. But Hayes sued the news organization in 2015 in an effort to block the public records request. After losing that round, she was ordered to pay about $125,000 in legal fees. She filed an appeal, but recently dropped it.

Michael Fuller, Hayes' attorney, declined comment Tuesday, saying he is prohibited by professional ethics rules from talking to The Oregonian/OregonLive because of the ongoing legal battle.

"Unfortunately the professional rules don't allow us to communicate with a represented party in litigation," he said.

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing allows debtors to reorganize their financial situation -- extinguish some debt and establish a repayment plan for the balance. Chapter 13 also allows debtors to keep their real estate.

Hayes, a green energy entrepreneur, owns a home in Bend.

Back in 2014, Hayes' annual expenses totaled roughly $62,000, according to her email exchanges with Kitzhaber that were leaked to Willamette Week. Kitzhaber started depositing money in Hayes' account, so she could pay her bills, after she stopped consulting for groups with an interest in state policies.

Hayes' bankruptcy and her own writings suggest she has struggled to line up the "non-time-consuming" yet "lucrative work" she'd hoped for as Kitzhaber sought his fourth term.

In a blog post in June, Hayes wrote: "Yes, I have some income and cash flow challenges and the remnants of some big legal proceedings, but I ALSO have a tremendous amount of actual resources flowing to me – supportive people, new business opportunities, paid business travel."

So how has Hayes been making money?

Since leaving the governor's mansion, Hayes has tried her hand at journalism, writing articles on animal welfare and environmental topics for the magazine Bend Level in 2015 and a successor publication called Issue in 2016. The short-lived Issue magazine had dissolved by early 2017, according to state corporation records.

She became a "strategic intervention coach" certified by self-help guru Tony Robbins and says she specializes in assisting people suffering "shaming and trauma experiences."

Last summer, she launched an email newsletter about sustainable marijuana.

She's also continued make public appearances, including at a summit for "women leaders in conscious business" earlier this year in California. It's unclear whether those are paid speaking engagements.

-- Jeff Manning and Hillary Borrud