Oregon's Secretary of State resigns over scandal

(MAY 5, 2023) Shemia Fagan is the Secretary of State for Oregon. She is in trouble because she took a job to work for a big company that sells cannabis. The company is called La Mota. La Mota is a big supporter of the Democratic Party. Secretary Fagan took this job while her staff was finishing a report about cannabis businesses. The report suggests that businesses selling cannabis should have fewer rules to follow.

In the video below, Fagan said she was sorry for taking the job. She ended her contract with La Mota. She promised to work to rebuild trust with the people of Oregon. Many people are still unhappy with what she did.

On Tuesday, May 2, Fagan resigned from her job as Oregon's Secretary of State, too.

Fagan used to be a lawyer. She became the Secretary of State in 2020. She is a Democrat and has tried to make Oregon a more progressive state.

She took the job with La Mota because she needed the money. She has two children and is the only person in her family who works. She has had money problems in the past. She thought that working for La Mota would be a good way to earn more money.

It is not clear if Secretary Fagan did anything wrong. Some people are worried that she might have helped La Mota more than she should have because they gave her a lot of money. They are also worried that she might have helped La Mota because they are big supporters of the Democratic Party.