SALEM – Oregon ethics officials voted unanimously on Friday morning to find that former Gov. John Kitzhaber misused his public office for personal gain, by clearing the way for his fiancée Cylvia Hayes to blur the lines between her privately paid advocacy and public role shaping green energy and economic policies.

In total, the commission found 10 instances in which Kitzhaber violated state laws against public officials misusing their positions, accepting gifts and failing to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Private groups paid Hayes more than $200,000 during Kitzhaber's third term to promote environmental and economic policies. Hayes was only able to secure those contracts and perform the work, such as a paid speech she delivered as first lady and attending a meeting of West Coast governors, because she was first lady and the governor gave her extraordinary access to levers of power, the commission found.

Kitzhaber appeared in person before the commission and lobbied hard against the idea that he intended to financially benefit himself or Hayes.

"My concern is the assault on my integrity," Kitzhaber said. "I've made my share of mistakes, no doubt about it. But using my office for personal gain is simply not one of them."

Kitzhaber and his two attorneys argued that any financial benefit he and Hayes might have gained as a household was unintentional on the governor's part. They said that due to the lack of intent, it would be incorrect for the commission to find that the governor violated the law against misusing public office.

Ethics commissioners rejected that argument, saying that to accept the legal interpretation advanced by Kitzhaber and his lawyers would gut state ethics law and lay out a path for other public officials to flout it in the future.

Kitzhaber could face up to $50,000 in fines based on the violations the commission approved, but officials did not consider that matter on Friday. First, Kitzhaber has the option to request a hearing before an administrative law judge to contest the commission's findings. He could also appeal to a state hearings officer and ultimately all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court.

Last month, the commission approved preliminary findings that Hayes violated state laws on 22 occasions. The former first lady could ultimately face up to $110,000 in fines, but she also has the option to appeal.

Commissioners decided not to find that Kitzhaber misused his office by allowing a staffer to care for Hayes' pets, after the former governor told commissioners that staffer was a longtime friend of his. Kitzhaber had referred to that allegation on Friday as "pet gate."

-- Hillary Borrud; Twitter: @hborrud; 503-294-4034