Report: Cylvia Hayes will file for bankruptcy

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The lawyer for a former Oregon first lady says she will file for bankruptcy after accumulating about $125,000 in debts and penalties during a legal battle with The Oregonian/OregonLive newspaper.

Former first lady Cylvia Hayes’ lawyer, Eli Stutsman, said in a court filing Wednesday that the Bend woman plans to file for bankruptcy this week.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Hayes also faces a potential six-figure fine for violating state ethics laws.

Hayes and the newspaper got into a legal battle after it submitted a public records request for her emails for an investigation into her consulting contracts.

Hayes is expected to drop an appeal challenging the $125,000 she was ordered to pay the newspaper for its legal fees since the bankruptcy could shield her from paying the full legal costs.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com