The Oregon Government Ethics Commission takes up the case of former Gov. John Kitzhaber on Friday. It’s expected to make preliminary findings on an investigative report that charges he violated state ethics laws at least 11 times during the course of his third term and brief fourth term as governor. Assuming it agrees with the report, punishment apparently will come later. He could be fined as much as $55,000.

His attorney argues, in part, that he “rejects the suggestion that he used his office to obtain a financial benefit for himself or Ms. Hayes.” It’s a statement that, frankly, doesn’t pass the smell test, and the commission should view it that way.

On paper, the former governor is an extremely bright guy. He’s a graduate of Dartmouth College and attended the Oregon Health & Science University, where he became a physician. He was an emergency room physician in Roseburg beginning in 1974 and was elected to the state House in 1978. He became governor in 1995, served two terms and retired from public office until he was elected to an unprecedented third term in 2010 and began a fourth in 2015. He resigned early that same year.

It apparently never occurred to him, if his lawyer is to be believed, that allowing his staff to assist his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, in research projects and other work for her company, 3EStrategies, encouraging her participation in decision-making discussions on topics upon which they agreed and which benefited her work, even allowing her to use state employees to care for her dog when she was away on business, might offer plenty of opportunities for conflicts of interest.

It’s an unacceptable and unbelievable excuse that he had no inkling something inappropriate and illegal was going on. The commission cannot accept it as an excuse for his behavior.