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Nkenge Harmon Johnson, a former spokeswoman for then-Gov. John Kitzhaber filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today against Kitzhaber, former first lady Cylvia Hayes and two others.
Harmon Johnson's lawsuit claims she was fired for raising concerns about the improper blending of campaign and state duties and about Hayes' role in Kitzhaber's office.
“[Harmon Johnson] witnessed what she reasonably believed to be myriad improprieties involving the Governor’s re-election campaign team and his official staff, including, but not limited to, directing or permitting of political activities by public employees while on the job, in violation of ORS 260.432, as well as mismanagement and abuse of authority,” says the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene by Portland lawyer Beth Creighton.
The lawsuit alleges that former Kitzhaber chief of staff Mike Bonetto, who is also named as a defendant, fired Harmon Johnson on July 18, 2014 after she raised concerns about being told to work on Kitzhaber’s re-election campaign rather than state business, and after criticizing Hayes in a July 15, 2014 staff meeting.
“[Harmon Johnson] was directed by Defendants Bonetto and Kitzhaber to engage directly with the campaign team, and to conform her work for the Governor’s Office to the needs of the Governor’s campaign for re-election, contrary to law,” the lawsuit says. “Hayes took umbrage at something Plaintiff said at an Executive Staff meeting, on or about July 15, 2014, and began to instigate Plaintiff’s termination by making disparaging comments about Plaintiff to Defendants Bonetto and Kitzhaber, and others.”
Harmon Johnson, who is now the president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, says that her firing resulted in “the violation of her right not to be deprived of her rights as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; and her right not to have her economic relations interfered with under Oregon law.”
Kitzhaber resigned from office last February amid media scrutiny of allegations Hayes peddled political influence to her consulting clients while working in the governor’s office.
Related: emails showed the tensions behind Hayes’ role in the governor’s office.
On Feb. 13, 2015, the day Kitzhaber announced his resignation, Harmon Johnson sent Bonetto a letter seeking to “resolve” her situation but she never filed suit in state court.
Her new federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Lawyers for the four defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Willamette Week