Spokane Mayor Jim West's Email to City Employees

If you needed evidence that this is going to turn out to be about Mr. West's cruising at gay.com, here it is, from his email to city employees (courtesy of the Spokesman-Review, which has apparently copyrighted email... I don't think it's in their best interest to attempt to copyright a public employee's email message to other public employees, but I'm going to leave that messy business up to them):
Jim West :: Spokesmanreview.com: "The paper this morning reported that a 36 year old convicted felon who is suing the County swore in a deposition that I had molested him as a young boy. Another convicted felon has come forward and suggested the same thing. Both of these allegations I categorically deny. I've been told of allegations that these men were molested by a co-worker of mine at the Sheriff's Department in the mid-seventies. I have no direct knowledge of that. I was told that their parents came forward to the Sheriff's Department in the mid-seventies and reported those allegations against that Deputy. He was confronted by Sheriff's detectives and later committed suicide. Allegations against me have only been made in recent years about events which supposedly occurred 24 years ago. Again, I deny those allegations.The paper also reported that I have visited a gay chat line on the Internet and had relationships with adult men. I don't deny that."
I have to tell you I'd be perfectly happy with an openly gay mayor. Even a closeted gay mayor would be groovy. But a mayor--any mayor--who uses his post as mayor to gain sexual advantage is nothing more than a person of power who has let that power go to his tiny head. The issue is absolutely not that Mr. West was looking for sex. The issue is buried in what he offered in exchange for that sex. Also, he appears to be dismissing the "allegations" of those accusing him based on their status as convicted felons. Well, they were "troubled youth" when he took them on a "camping experience." If it is so terribly easy to dismiss them as individuals as adults--they're felons, so they must be lying--who's to say they weren't just as easy to dismiss as "troubled youth." It's his right to deny these claims. And I have no doubt the investigation will continue. In Mr. West's email he asks everyone to pray. And I will. Continue to pray. For anyone who is abused. For the abusers. For justice. I implore you all do to the same. As always, comments are welcome. Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,
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