Democratic State Rep Kelly Wirth charged with meth possession

[Blue Topaz]

Great. On my NPR affiliate today they said that Dem members of the State Legislature said Wirth was planning to step down. Does anyone know what will happen to her seat in that case? Wirth appears to have made a series of colossal judgement blunders which will likely ruin her political career and possibly hurt Dems in general within state politics.

"State Rep. Kelley Wirth, D-Corvallis, turned herself in to Salem police Thursday morning to face charges of possessing methamphetamine, a crime that carries the possibility of jail time.

“She came in on her own accord,” accompanied by her lawyer Jane Aiken, said Lt. Dave Okada, a Salem police spokesman. Wirth was issued a criminal citation for possession of a controlled substance and released after her fingerprints and a booking photo were taken, Okada said."

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/oregonian/index.ssf?/mtlogs/olive_oregonian_news/archives/2005_10.html#087168

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. just reported.... she has resigned.

http://www.katu.com/stories/80369.html

You know, I couldn't understand why a rep would be boning a janitor.
When I found out about the meth, it made more sense. That stuff really screws with your head.

[hollyh1985]

3. She didn't resign?

http://www.katu.com/stories/80380.html

Now they are saying she didn't resign.

This all smells fishy.

I wouldn't be surprized if the 'Pugs set her up.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi hollyh!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[hollyh1985]

6. Thanks!

I was SOOOO nervouse about posting! But I just got so angry over the Rethugs. Instead of innocent until proven guilty, they want Kelly to be guilty even if proven innocent! :grr:

You should check out Blue Oregon. http://www.blueoregon.com/2005/10/a_career_destro.html
Thats were I got angry enough to come out here! :D
Some puke cop got on and tried to cause trouble. :grr: :grr:

[newyawker99]

12. I am glad that you are not nervous anymore.

I look forward to reading more of
your posts.


:hi:

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

2. The whole story

just blows my mind. I mean, Kelly gets run over by this janitor's other girlfriend, then the cops find meth in her car.

[Blue Topaz]

4. I hate to say it

but I find the janitor and the jealous girlfried and the meth at fairly plausible, based on what I have read. Wirth barely survived a primary election last year because of her poor attendance record in the previous session. She strikes me as someone who does not always exercise solid, professional judgement. I think the people of her district and the State of Oregon will be better served by someone who has their head on a little straighter.

[ploppy]

7. Wirth

won the primary last spring and an ugly primary it was - any Republican would be proud. She was viciously and personally attacked by some of her own and it hasn't stopped. Kelley did have some faults but all in all was a very good legislator. She didn't deserve to have some whack job run over her with a car and to have the Democrats to keep harping on her. They should have thanked her for her work and wished her well in her long recovery at the time of the attempted murder - yes murder - and then shut up. It would have been allot more classy than the cheesy behavior they have all displayed. It is all very disappointing.

[Blue Topaz]

9. She wasn't doing the job

she was sent to Salem to do. IMO, she deserved to have to fight to secure the Dem nomination. Why should we have to put up with mediocrity? We had an outstanding, stellar alternative in the primary, who almost certainly will now win Wirth's seat. We need the best people we can get working for us.

BTW, Wirth has just had a restraining order issued requiring her to keep away from the janitor boyfriend.

[ploppy]

13. Isn't it odd

that the janitor has a restraining order? He doesn't seem like a victim to me. I wonder if he will make money from all of this. BTW it looks like your stellar candidate who lost the primary after a smear campaign just might get to Salem after all.

[Blue Topaz]

14. Smear campaign?

Kelley had a beyond-shitty attendance record and all Gelser's campaign did was point it out. If that's a smear, welcome to politics.

Every Dem I know in this area, including some big players in the local Dem party scene, is thrilled at the prospect of seeing Sara Gelser in the seat. I think we need to groom outstanding, not merely passable candidates for state government. Not only are they there to serve their local constituents, but they provide a pool of candidates we can launch to higher positions. Kelley was never going to be someone like that; Sara is.

[0rganism]

8. Yeah, I tend to agree

It's not "mundane" enough to be a set-up. Corrupt as the Pubs may be, Dems are not immune from the need to clean up our act.

[depakid]

10. The story gets curiouser and curiouser...

If you thought the saga of state Rep. Kelley Wirth couldn't get any more bizarre, you're wrong.

Now, longtime TV reporter Eric Mason, who works in KATU's Salem bureau, could be dragged into the whole mess because Wirth—who denied the relationship with the janitor—has claimed a romantic relationship with Mason.

According to a KATU broadcast, the night Wirth was run down by a car, she met with Mason shortly beforehand "to discuss her political future." She resigned Oct. 14 after the meth charge was filed.

After Wirth was hit, Mason continued to cover the charges against Wirth and her resignation. But Mason has not been reporting lately and appears to be on leave from KATU.

http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6863

[ploppy]

11. I believe

she went out with him a couple of years ago. Who knows why KATU thought they needed him to resign. Why would that make a difference. He did interview her on the steps of the capitol building tight before the woman ran her car into her - and he saw it happen from what I understand.

[Blue Topaz]

15. The latest ...

Kelley Wirth has just formally turned in her written resignation, but not before giving doubling her mother's salary as an aide to Wirth. Yes, mom was making $3,000 per month, got a raise to $3,500 a few weeks ago, and has just been boosted to $6,500 a month. What the hell?!

Kelley does not seem to be playing with a full deck of cards.

[ploppy]

16. Don't you think

you have plucked this chicken enough? You have what you want - let Kelley go do whatever she needs to do and find someone else to hate. It is sad that so many have taken glee in this big mess - and disappointing.

[depakid]

17. Corruption is as corruption does

I don't really care who it is or on what side of the aisle they're on. Behavior like the above described "raise," if it's true- should be decried.

[Blue Topaz]

18. Gee, defensive much?

This being the Oregon forum, I thought it was fair to comment on the new developments in this case. I'm not without sympathy for Kelley's personal troubles, but she has done Dems no favors and I'm not happy about it. You seem pretty eager to sweep it all under the rug.

FWIW, she did agree to rescind the pay raises to her friends and family, after pressure from constituents and her Dem peers in the House.