Sonia Manhas Resigns from Multnomah County

Sonia Manhas, the Multnomah County health department employee who had an extended affair with County Chairman Jeff Cogen, has resigned, saying she was forced out by county officials.

In a letter to media, Manhas says she was forced to sign a letter of severance before being allowed to meet with her boss, health department director Lillian Shirley. Shirley reports to Cogen.

Manhas signed the letter today shortly after noon. Her severance agreement says she won't sue the county, in return for some continuing health insurance coverage.

This morning, Manhas first told The Oregonian county officials were trying to force her out of a job because of her affair with Cogen.

Also today, WW examined five claims by Cogen now undermined by records and reporting. Manhas' resignation casts further doubt on one of them.

Her statement to media this afternoon also contradicts Cogen's claim on July 16 that the affair ended two months ago. She says she broke up with him in June.

"Over time, I became increasingly confused and distraught about what we were doing, but we continued and I accept my responsibility in that," Manhas says. "In June 2013, I told Jeff that the relationship couldn't continue as it was. We were still in conversations about what a path forward could look like when the affair became public."

In a second letter, sent to colleagues sent at 12:33 pm today, Manhas again says she was forced to quit. She says her relationship with Cogen was "an affair of the heart."

"The personal relationship with Jeff was never about a job or salary," she writes. "It is certainly not what a politician wants to say, but it was an affair of the heart. It would be a betrayal to who I am to describe it in a diminishing way now. But of course, the reality is that the relationship could never have been and should never have started."

Here is the statement Manhas emailed to media today. More as this story develops.

WWeek 2015