OREGON LAWMAKER WITH METH CHARGE GIVES RAISES AS SHE LEAVES LEGISLATURE

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- State Rep. Kelley Wirth, who is set to resign next
week after being charged with methamphetamine possession, has spent
her last weeks in office awarding raises to her staff, including her mother.

Records obtained by The Oregonian show that Wirth has listed her
mother, Kathleen Panknin, as an aide for more than two years. Wirth
paid her mother $3,000 a month July 1 and raised it to $3,500 in
mid-October. Last week, Wirth submitted papers to raise her mother's
pay to $6,500 a month.

Two other staff members got raises from $500 a week to $750 a week as
of Nov. 1.

House Minority Leader Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, said the spending was
inappropriate and he has asked Wirth to rescind the raises.

But Wirth, D-Corvallis, defended the raises Wednesday in an interview
with a Portland television station.

"My staff earned it," she told KATU.

"I don't think there's a single staff member in this place that
doesn't earn a hell of a lot more than we pay them and that's all I'm
gonna say," she added. "And if any legislator wants to say that these
people don't earn the money that they get, plus some, then so be it."

Oregon legislators get $33,228 in taxpayer money to pay for office
staff and supply costs between legislative sessions. Legislators are
allowed to pay their staff whatever they want as long as they don't
exceed their budget.

Wirth, 40, a single mother of two young daughters, announced her
resignation from the Legislature on Oct. 14, a day after being cited
for possession of what Salem police said was a small amount of
methamphetamine found in her car. Her resignation is to take effect Tuesday.

Wirth, who pleaded not guilty to the drug charge, is recovering from
injuries suffered when she was struck by a car driven by a woman who
says Wirth was having an affair with her boyfriend.