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Outgoing Gov. John Kitzhaber commutes sentence

The Columbian
Published: February 18, 2015, 12:00am

SALEM, Ore. — As one of his final acts in office, Oregon’s outgoing governor, John Kitzhaber, commuted the prison sentence of a young inmate convicted of attempted murder.

Sang Dao, 25, sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, will be released next month, more than three years early.

Dao earned a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University while behind bars, and Kitzhaber’s fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, spoke at his graduation ceremony last summer.

Hayes was at the center of the ethics controversy that prompted Kitzhaber to step down effective Wednesday. She has been accused of using their relationship to land work for her consulting firm.

Kitzhaber has denied wrongdoing on both their parts.

The commutation, obtained by The Associated Press, was signed Tuesday, a day before Kitzhaber handed power to his successor, Kate Brown. Brown signed the document in her former role as secretary of state.

It was not immediately clear why Kitzhaber granted Dao clemency.

Dao will leave prison March 17. Department of Corrections records show his earliest possible release date had been in November 2018. His attempted murder conviction included unlawful use of a weapon and assault.

In earning his degree while at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, however, Dao “took advantage of all the benefits and the programs that we offered, and he made the most of them,” spokesman C.J. Drake said.

“His conduct and his reformation while he was with us was exemplary,” Drake said.

Hayes, speaking at the graduation ceremony, told the graduates “education is something no one can take from you.”

Dao was transferred in November to a state prison in Salem when he aged out of the youth correctional system.

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