Kotek’s wife has office, staffer, attends meetings

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s wife now has an office in the governor’s base of operations at the state library along with a staffer on loan from the Department of Administrative Services.

Aimee Kotek Wilson does not get a salary as Oregon’s first lady. She has a master’s degree in social work and the governor’s office confirmed she’s been sitting in on staff meetings that focus on behavioral health.

Many spouses of governors across the United States have offices and are called upon for speaking or presentations in their role. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee’s wife does not have her own office but does have a staff member who helps manage her official calendar of events.

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“Trudi (Inslee) is not a state employee but has a very important and unique role as first spouse. She has a role in representing the state and establishing relationships,” Inslee Press Secretary Mike Faulk told KOIN 6 News in an email. “She sometimes travels, attends events or meetings with the governor, and in her own time has advocated for issues that matter to her like gun reform and reproductive rights. She is obviously a close confidant to the governor.”

But Oregon does not have an official Office of the First Spouse. That’s what the paid, on-loan staffer, Meliah Masiba, will explore while she provides assistance to Kotek Wilson.

There are questions as to what her official role is. She is on the same bio page as Gov. Kotek on the state’s website, which is followed by several pages of questions if a group wants to book her for an event.

Last week, several top staffers to Gov. Kotek reportedly decided to leave over this situation.

In February 2015, then-Gov. John Kitzhaber resigned after a scandal involving his fiancee Cylvia Hayes operating her political consulting business out of his office space. He was also later fined by the State Ethics Commission for influence peddling.

Gov. Kotek’s office responds to questions

In a detailed email to KOIN 6 News, Gov. Kotek’s press office provided specific answers to specific questions.

The governor is not overly concerned about the optics of the first lady getting an office in state library (while the Capitol is under construction), and it was the governor who made this decision.

“The exploration of the establishment of the office of the First Spouse will provide greater definition to the role of first partners to any given Governor. The Governor believes that Oregon, like many other states, should have clarity about the role of the first spouse,” Kotek’s office said in the email.

“There are no plans for the First Lady to receive a state paycheck at any point. She will continue to be a volunteer. In addition, she has no outside employment,” the office said.

Meliah Masiba will work in the governor’s office for 6 months “to help explore the establishment of the office of the First Spouse, a program that has been established in many states.” Masiba will continue to be paid — through the Governor’s Office budget — her Department of Administrative Services salary of 11,984 per month.

As other states do, the First Lady will have security when she is representing the governor. Aimee Kotek Wilson now has that security through the Oregon State Police “using resources from the Governor’s Office budget.”

No one reports directly to Kotek Wilson, they said. “Her scheduler reports to the Director of
Operations and Meliah Masiba reports to the acting Chief of Staff.”

At this time there are no cost estimates to setting up an Office of the First Spouse, the governor’s office said.

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