Kelley Wirth
Encyclopedia
Kelley Wirth is a former member of the Oregon House of Representatives
, where she represented Corvallis, Oregon
. Wirth, a Democrat
, was one of two Oregon lawmakers to resign during the 73rd Oregon Legislative Assembly due to a personal scandal, with the other being Dan Doyle
(R
–Salem
).) She was indicted of unlawful possession of methamphetamine
, and resigned from the legislature effective November 15, 2005. Wayne Krieger
(R
-Gold Beach
introduced a bill during the following session to institute mandatory drug testing for Oregon lawmakers, but stated the bill had nothing to do with Wirth.
The drug charges came after Wirth was struck by a car, by a woman who claimed Wirth was having an affair with her boyfriend. After the incident, police searched Wirth's car, and found what they called a "small amount" of methamphetamine. The driver, Lisa Temple, was charged with attempted murder.
In her last months in the legislature, Wirth gave her legislative aides, including her mother, pay raises that drew criticism from Minority Leader Jeff Merkley
; she rescinded the raises, but became the subject of an ethics probe in the ensuing months.
Wirth, who was first elected to the House in 2000, went through a divorce in 2003. She has two young daughters.
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
, where she represented Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
. Wirth, a Democrat
Democratic Party of Oregon
The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...
, was one of two Oregon lawmakers to resign during the 73rd Oregon Legislative Assembly due to a personal scandal, with the other being Dan Doyle
Dan Doyle (Oregon politician)
Dan Doyle is a former Republican state legislator and attorney from the U.S. state of Oregon. He represented Salem. He resigned from the House on January 31, 2005, and later pleaded guilty to falsifying reports relating to campaign finance. He also resigned from the Oregon state bar...
(R
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
–Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
).) She was indicted of unlawful possession of methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
, and resigned from the legislature effective November 15, 2005. Wayne Krieger
Wayne Krieger
Wayne Krieger is a Republican politician, retired game warden, and tree farmer from Gold Beach on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. He served on the Oregon State Police Force from 1964 to 1991. He represents District 1 of the Oregon House of Representatives...
(R
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
-Gold Beach
Gold Beach, Oregon
Gold Beach is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, Oregon, United States, on the Oregon Coast. The population was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-History:...
introduced a bill during the following session to institute mandatory drug testing for Oregon lawmakers, but stated the bill had nothing to do with Wirth.
The drug charges came after Wirth was struck by a car, by a woman who claimed Wirth was having an affair with her boyfriend. After the incident, police searched Wirth's car, and found what they called a "small amount" of methamphetamine. The driver, Lisa Temple, was charged with attempted murder.
In her last months in the legislature, Wirth gave her legislative aides, including her mother, pay raises that drew criticism from Minority Leader Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...
; she rescinded the raises, but became the subject of an ethics probe in the ensuing months.
Wirth, who was first elected to the House in 2000, went through a divorce in 2003. She has two young daughters.