Gov. Kate Brown’s General Counsel, Misha Isaak, Left Last Month

Brown had nominated Isaak to the Oregon Court of Appeals, but he withdrew in the face of criticism.

Multnomah County Circuit Court (Alan Cordova)
By Rachel Monahan

Gov. Kate Brown's general counsel, Misha Isaak, left the governor's office on March 9, six months after he declined his nomination to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

Brown nominated Isaak last August, but the state's first public records advocate, Ginger McCall, resigned just weeks later, citing Isaak's efforts to block her work and protect Brown from scrutiny. That controversy effectively scuttled Isaak's appointment, and he soon withdrew his name from consideration.

He remained in the governor's office until last month. He joined the firm Perkins Coie on March 31.

"Given the fast pace and stressful nature of work in the governor's office, members of the governor's 'senior staff' typically stay for just a year or two," Isaak says. "I stayed for five. The long hours and relentless crisis triage, plus the daily commute to Salem, takes a toll — especially on those of us with families. (I have a husband and a 4-year-old at home.)"

Dustin Buehler, previously Isaak's deputy, has been appointed general counsel.

Others who've left the governor's office since January include Jarrod Shaw, a policy assistant for education and workforce/labor, who has taken a post at the Oregon Department of Education; Brendan Finn, who was a transportation policy adviser, for a post at the Oregon Department of Transportation; Miles Palacios, executive policy assistant for climate policy and aide to the first gentleman; and Kate Kondayen, who was deputy communications director.

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