Mayor to take leave of absence/ Mayor West

[cal04]

Spokane Mayor Jim West told City Council members Monday that he would take a leave of absence amid controversy over his sexual behavior and use of the mayor's office. West said he would remain in close contact with Deputy Mayor Jack Lynch, who will take over leadership in his absence.

West made the announcement during an afternoon council briefing session.

http://spokesmanreview.com/jimwest/story.asp?ID=050905_west_leave

Spokane mayor will take leave, prepare defense against molestation allegations
Embattled Mayor James West said today he would take a leave of absence for a "few weeks" to prepare to defend himself against a newspaper's allegations of child molestation.
http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050509/NEWS/50509006

Spokesman-Review Editor Steven A. Smith addresses your questions about stories on the mayor
Ken Sands: We've already received an unprecedented number of questions for this discussion -- more than 75 in advance of the chat (with more arriving). We'll try to answer as many of them as we can, as time permits.
Some of the questions are redundant. Others are slightly off-topic. It's not our job to speculate on what could or should happen next with the mayor.
However, many of you have legitimate questions about the newspaper's techniques in this investigation, and we will attempt to answer those candidly and completely. The discussion should begin shortly. To see it unfold, click the "refresh" button on your browser toolbar regularly.

http://spokesmanreview.com/chat/transcript.asp?id=63

[Placebo]

1. For a second I thought this was a 'Family Guy' thread...

:silly:

[LeftyMom]

2. So did I! nt

[Book Lover]

5. Glad I'm not the only one!

:crazy:

[UpInArms]

3. related: City computers used by Spokane mayor seized amid sex probe

http://www.kasa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3320347

POKANE, Wash. (AP) _ Spokane, Washington's, mayor has found himself in a sex probe.

An investigation is under way into whether Jim West improperly used city computers to visit gay online chat rooms.West, a longtime Republican opponent of gay rights, has admitted having relations with men. And he has acknowledged offering autographed sports memorabilia and a possible City Hall internship to a person he thought was an 18-year-old man in a gay chat room. The man turned out to be a computer expert hired by a Spokane newspaper (The Spokesman-Review) in a journalism sting operation.

...more...

Oopsie! Looks like he doesn't have 1,136 days to be Mayor of Spokane :eyes:

[ogradda]

6. Like this wouldn't be

embarrassing or anything.

[Merlot]

8. anti-gay rights and has admitted having relations with men

It boggles the mind. It's ok for him, but no one else?

[UpInArms]

11. one of the requirements for this GOP's

membership is a strong suit in hypocrisy.

[tmooses]

4. I 'd watch who this guy is in "close contact" with.

[warrens]

7. arf, arf, arf

Goodbye, you pedophile, gay-bashing asswipe. I sincerely hope you end up in a really BAD cell block. Not that this will disqualify you from running for Senator. The GOP has a REAL big tent when it comes to child molestors. Sorta like being anti-abortion and anti-tax. You gotta be pro-child molesting.

[varun]

23. He can always become a male prostitute...

...and get access to the White Hose Press room.

[Deja Q]

9. Is Mayor West going back into his batcave?

:rofl:

[Erika]

10. We'll see if this "conservative" is even arrested

since this is such a conservative community. I think they will have to arrest if he used his work computer for personal purposes and offered a city job to someone he was "interested" in.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. There were people in my company who were immediately fired

for using their computer for what Jim West used his for.

[Erika]

13. My company says NO private use of computers will be

allowed and using them for private use is reason for dismissal.

[Up2Late]

14. U.S.(Spokane) mayor takes leave amid online (gay)-sex probe (Reuters)

U.S. mayor takes leave amid online-sex probe

Tue May 10, 2005 02:26 AM ET

By William Stimson

SPOKANE, Wash. (Reuters) - Spokane's Republican mayor took a leave of absence on Monday after officials seized a city computer in his home to investigate whether he used it illegally to solicit sex on gay Web sites. Mayor James West, 54, a former state legislator known for his strong positions against gay rights and teen sex, said in a statement last week that he had explored homosexual relationships online. But he described himself as a "law-abiding citizen" said he had not broken the law.

The seized computer would be used in an investigation into whether West broke any laws while using city-owned equipment, City Attorney Michael Connelly said. Faced with calls for his resignation, West told the Spokane City Council he would take a leave of absence for "a few weeks" because "the current media hysteria" was taking too much attention from work in Washington's second-largest city. He said he would use the time to "gather my thoughts and prepare my defense against the false accusations leveled against me."

Spokane's morning newspaper, the Spokesman-Review, reported last week that West had sexually abused two boys 25 years ago, when they were members of West's Boy Scout troop. The newspaper also said that West had tried to arrange a sexual liaison with a 17-year-old boy on Gay.com. The newspaper hired a consultant posing as a gay high-school student to arrange a meeting with the mayor.

After the stories appeared, West acknowledged in his statement that he had been leading "a double life" as a homosexual, but denied the newspaper's molestation claims. He told the City Council on Monday, "I hope the council and citizens will reserve judgment until the newspaper is done prosecuting me and allow me to have a fair opportunity to answer the accusations."

(more at link above)

This Audio story was on NPR today too:

Paper Reveals Private Side of Spokane Mayor

All Things Considered, May 9, 2005 · In a series of articles, the Spokesman-Review has revealed that Spokane, Wash., Mayor Jim West has sought relationships with young men whom he has met over the Internet. Melissa Block talks with Steven Smith, editor of the Spokesman-Review.

[sasquatch]

15. I hope that sob gets raped in prison

[UpInArms]

16. related: Men from gay chat room say a Washington mayor offered them jobs

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=34636

SPOKANE, Washington -- Two men have told a Spokane, Washington, newspaper that Mayor Jim West offered them jobs after meeting in a gay Internet chat room.

One of the men told the Spokesman-Review that he briefly accepted a job with the city’s Human Rights Commission in 2004 but that he resigned because West “hounded” him and asked for dates.

The newspaper has published a series of reports that say West was accused of abusing boys while he was a sheriff’s deputy and a Boy Scout leader in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He has denied the allegations.

West—an outspoken critic of gay rights—has admitted to visiting the chat room and having relations with adult men.

...more...

[warrens]

17. The poor guy is being PERSECUTED

Waaaah, waaaaaah.

SPOKANE, Wash. - Citing what he called persecution and hysteria, Republican Mayor Jim West says he's taking a few weeks off to defend himself against allegations of child molestation and new claims that he offered city jobs to men he met online.

Shortly after West announced Monday that he would take a leave of absence, The Spokesman-Review posted a new story on its Web page alleging the mayor offered city jobs to two young men he met through a gay Internet chat room — and that one of them briefly accepted a city appointment.

The newspaper last week launched a series of articles about West after hiring a computer forensics expert who posed as an 18-year-old male high school student in Internet chats with West on Gay.com. West offered the "teen" a City Hall internship, tickets to professional sporting events and other gifts, the newspaper reported.

In Monday's account, Ryan Oelrich, an openly gay 24-year-old, told the paper he accepted West's appointment to the city's Human Rights Commission in April 2004 after meeting West online at Gay.com.

Oelrich said he resigned from the commission in January after West "hounded me for months, telling me I was cute and asking me out on dates." Oelrich said he refused the mayor's advances, the newspaper reported. Oelrich told the newspaper he knows of "five or six other young gay men that Jim West has met online and offered City Hall jobs."

SNIP

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/spokane_mayor

The editor of the Spokesman-Review wrote a letter to Romanesko that just came up on the Media News site (www.poynter.org) and said that there are now allegations of mutual online masturbation while in the Mayor's office. He also explains how they mounted the sting and why.

[JRob]

18. Spokane Repub mayor on leave; allegation Gay advances & child molestation

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002269310_west10.html


Spokane mayor takes leave; new allegation reported

By JOHN K. WILEY

The Associated Press

SPOKANE — Embattled Mayor Jim West said yesterday he will take a leave of absence for a "few weeks" to prepare to defend himself against a newspaper's allegations of child molestation. An hour later, the newspaper's Web site published a new allegation of inappropriate sexual advances.

West told the City Council that the allegations printed in The Spokesman-Review in recent days were false and that he would take his first vacation since taking office in January 2004 to prepare a response.

[opihimoimoi]

19. Closet Gays have such a hard time...Pub Gays have it worse

But Molesting young boys, thats another story...this guy should resign

He is embarrassing the City who elected him.

[whistle]

20. Same concept of celibacy as practiced by pedophile priests...

...in the catholic church I suppose.

<snip from the article>

West acknowledged he'd heard of rumors over the years about his sexuality, but claimed he was celibate.

"I led a life of hell. I know the rumors have been out there for a long time. It has been hell. I didn't date. I was celibate. That was true. Oh God. Oh God," Smith said West told him.

[Neshanic]

21. Exhibit "A" Republican hubris and disconnect.

Gay.

Deeply closeted gay.

Internets trolling for sex with 17 year old.

Alleged molester.

Fights all gay issues easily and without any outward emotion.

Keeping day job.

Going on vacation.

Oh....gay.

[daleo]

22. I just don't understand gay Republicans against gay rights.

Is this just opportunism (only Republicans can get elected in certain areas, so they sign up for power regardless of their orientation) or is this a sign of some kind of psychological problem?