Governor John Kitzhaber called on the state and federal governments Thursday to take legal action against Oracle for Cover Oregon's botched website.
The governor wrote to Oregon's attorney general asking that the state seek damages and the recovery of payments made to the California software giant.
He also wrote to the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which has the ability to fine Oracle under the False Claims Act.
"This to me is the next logical step," said Kitzhaber. "We've accomplished our enrollment goals. We've held people in state government accountable. We've turned Cover Oregon around and now we need to move onto the problems of the technology."
The governor has also asked Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to use their oversight authority to recoup taxpayer dollars.
At a legislative hearing, State Representative Dennis Richardson, who's challenging Kitzhaber in the November election, said he's troubled that the governor has said that he had no way of knowing about the website problems.
Calls to Oracle were not immediately returned.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting
