Skip to main content
Amanda Marshall, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, on Thursday told The Oregonian she was temporarily stepping away from her job as the state's top federal law enforcement official.
"I've been having health issues for months," Marshall told The Oregonian. "I can't serve right now."
That is far less that the full story, WW has learned from multiple sources familiar with Marshall's situation.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice placed Marshall on
leave this week pending an investigation of allegations that she was stalking
one of the male prosecutors who worked for her.
The stalking reportedly
included text messages and emails, which would provide documentary evidence of
her behavior. Neither Marshall nor the subordinate responded to WW's requests
for comment.
It is unclear what the nature of the relationship between Marshall and her subordinate was.
Marshall, 45, took office in October 2011 after being appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She oversees more than 100 people in U.S. Department of Justice offices in Portland, Eugene and Medford.
Marshall's departure—perhaps for good—comes just one month after federal agents served a sweeping subpoena on former Gov. John Kitzhaber, first lady Cylvia Hayes and 11 state agencies, seeking information regarding allegations of conflicts of interest and influence peddling.
Marshall's alleged stalking of her subordinate became an
open secret in the Portland office earlier this year, known to some prosecutors
and to federal agents and U.S. Marshals who work closely with federal
prosecutors. When investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. began examining Marshall's conduct, sources tell WW, they removed her access to DOJ email and other communication and suspended her security clearance, effectively making it impossible for her to serve as U.S. Attorney for Oregon.
The Oregonian first reported news of the alleged stalking this afternoon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Billy Williams declined repeated requests for comment.
WWeek 2015