In the same year of 769, Kiyohito was appointed Dazai no sochi (Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices), who falsely reported an oracle to the Emperor that the deity of the Usa Hachiman-gu Shrine recommended Dokyo's succession to the imperial throne, which incident is known to be the "plot of Usa Hachiman-gu oracle."
同年大宰帥に任じ、道鏡を皇位に就けることが神意に適う旨の宇佐八幡宮の神託を奏上し、いわゆる「宇佐八幡宮神託事件」を引き起こした。