News Jun 22, 2009 at 9:35 am

Mayor Will Not be Charged with Criminal Wrongdoing

Comments

1
Paulson and Lent's last week and now this. Rains/pours and all that.
2
Lent's, Lents. Whatever.
3
That sound you just heard was Blabby's head exploding followed by Wurster's tears hitting the floor.
4
"We don't accept it from our police officers...."

Riiiiiight.
5
Not to be a boner about this, but "declined to prosecute" isn't the same as "cleared of all criminal charges," just as a not guilty verdict at trial doesn't necessarily mean that someone is factually innocent.

And, not to be defensive, but I'm not bitter about this report - I never thought Adams should be prosecuted for this, even if they had had a ton of pre-18 sex; my problem was (and remains) the horrible judgment, the self-righteous and cynical lying, and the coaching of others to lie, and the report doesn't change a thing in that respect.
6
When has the funeral been scheduled for the recall effort?
7
Can the Ken Starrs of Portland now go back to doing something else?
8
I enjoy bikeportland.org but I fail to see how cycling has anything to do with the scandal.
9
Oh Portland...your politics are ADORABLE.
10
What was Beau's previous deception-related conviction? You'd think people would be trumpeting that a little louder. This report makes me think nothing really happened.
11
My head has not exploded, BlackedOut. I'm not shocked by this outcome, and this will probably doom the recall effort.

A victory for his supporters. Unfortunately, your reward is that Sam Adams is going to be your mayor for four years. Enjoy.

I'm impressed by your principles. I'm convinced that when a future 40-year-old straight Republican mayor has an inappropriate relationship with a 18-year-old girl, your positions on this matter will be 100% unchanged. "Go back to Wilsonville!" you will tell the mayor's critics.
12
@Blabby...

Yes. How old was President Clinton and how old was Monica Lewinsky? She was 23 or 24 and he was in his late fifties right? Didn't care then, don't care now, and won't care when a 40 year old straight mayor has sex with an 18 year old adult female.

If you're over 18 you can hump a 60 year old and its legal. You can do lots of stuff when you turn 18...cause you're an adult. You can also go to adult prison, smoke, and buy porn. You can do all those things because you're an adult.

13
When people say "so-and-so's head will explode", they don't mean it literally. They mean they'll descend into a morass of irrational and self-aggrandizing smuggery that ignores their epic failure.

Blabby's reply: QED.
14
Seconded, Chunty.
Biking is central in my life and Jonathan Maus is a friend but his opinion on what's good for biking has no place in this post.

As for Lauderdale,
Last time I saw him he was at Sam's meeting about tearing down the Coliseum for baseball/soccer/Chili's and he was fuming about how Sam had lost his mind, how he wanted Sam out of office ASAP, and how Jasun was on the right track. In fact, he had one of Wurster's recall flyers in his hand.

If you're keeping score, that's one irrelevant source and one unreliable one. I trust that print coverage will seem more relevant and reliable.
15
Yes, adults can do all those things. Adults can also do all sorts of things that don't rise to level of criminality, but still reflect poorly on their ability to lead a city.

You'll realize when you get older that "no one should judge anyone else's behavior" is not actually a high moral stance. In fact, it's the opposite. (How's that for smug, Alexjon?)

Alexjon, I'm not certain what my epic failure was. I think Adams should have resigned and isn't fit to the be the mayor. I don't believe I ever made pronouncements that the AG's investigation would definitley find something, or that the recall was a sure thing.
16
I'm so glad that now the attention can focus on the real issue, and not this fucking age of consent thing.

The real issue being that Americans no longer accept a politician who lies to get elected, and is elected because he lies.

My only discomfort with being engaged in the recall effort has always been my fear that we would live to see the day when Adams would go to jail because of something that went on a month before someone's birthday, as opposed to a month later. This is a great relief to know that no such travesty will take place.

This makes the recall a little more difficult, but also gives it a cleaner, simpler rationale.
17
Considering the axe has just fallen on Adams being booted out of office, you'd think the PPB union might consider tempering their constant criticism in order to move forward substantively--rather than continuing to hammer the Mayor in public about the scandal. Payback is, y'know.
18
This does not change anything. The AG is not saying Sam Adams is innocent. In fact it is clear the AG feels there is more here. He is saying he does not have enough to go into court and because of that he is not moving forward. I am sure if new evidence comes out that allows him to charge Adams. he will do so.

Adams should face a recall.
19
I'm also a regular Bike Portland reader, and the way I see it, Maus' opinion matters because Adams claimed to ride a bike and did so after he wrecked his American truck with his zipper down in the parking lot of Car Toys, probably shopping for shit when he should have been paying his mortgages.
20
Now that the AG has rejected the legal issues, only the ethical/lying issues remain. But if every politician was recalled for lying during a campaign in order to get elected, there wouldn't be anyone left to actually serve. It's part of job description. By continuing to persue the recall, the anti-Sam crowd is now looking more and more like all they're saying is: "He's a homo, and should be burned at the stake for it."
21
Jack, I just don't know where to begin with that stuff. Do you really believe that there is a recall effort afoot in Portland, Oregon because the mayor is gay? The same gay man that the city just elected?

Do you really believe that, or is that just the most convenient rhetorical argument?
22
Chunty - I'll respond because Matt's busy. We decided to call up Maus and other people who have been involved with Adams from a policy side to see how they think the end of the investigation will affect Adams' actual work in city hall. I think Maus addresses that.

Also, we're trying to get reactions from people prominent in various communities around town because while city commissioners say it's time to move on, the question is whether Portlanders actually will.
23
Unnecessary comment wherein I restate my initial reaction to said "drama".........Insert plea to move on now......Insert defensive reaction to someone's comment about my post....Look at pictures of cats....
24
"Do you really believe that there is a recall effort afoot in Portland, Oregon because the mayor is gay? The same gay man that the city just elected?"

I certainly do. There will be a few like Wurster that are honest enough people and are attempting to recall not because they disagree with his actions. Since Kroger isn't indicting there are going to be far more people like the Victoria Tafts of the world who specifically want to recall Adams because he is gay and they never liked him from the start.

There aren't enough like Wurster so they have to have the religious bigots over on Taft's side. Unfortunately for Wurster's side Portlanders tend to shy away from religious bigots like Victoria Taft.
25
It's quite bigoted to call others religious bigots while citing an opinion only backed up by one's "beliefs"
26
Jesus H. Christ, Mercury. The writer of a bike blog and the singer for a shitty band? Really? Those are the people whose opinions of Sam Adams matter?

The recall has never been about Adams being gay - it's about lying. Just like some people yell HOMO to distract attention from the real issues, some people yell HOMOPHOBE to distract people from the real issues. It's telling that Adams defenders are trying to make this all about the gay thing - that means that they're not willing to defend his actions. Probably because they're indefensible.

Lying your way into office is a recallable offense. He's got to go. On the other hand, he's a spectacularly ineffective mayor after all this - so maybe it's best that he stay in office and do nothing.
27
So far those calling for the recall not to go forward are the same people who never wanted the recall to happen in the first place.
28
BlackedOut, how would the Sam Adams issue go down if it was taking place in your home state of Texas?
29
Mr V, once again you've kind of missed the point. There are big lies and small lies. Sam was accused of having sex with a minor, and he denied it. That would have been a big lie, and maybe a recallable lie, if it had been true. But he was telling the truth, as has now been shown (I realize some people still won't believe him, on the grounds that lack-of-proof-of-guilt doesn't equal proof-of-innocence, but legally he's cleared, and that's the only standard of proof available). He did not lie his way into office; he's just been cleared of that. Whether you like it or not.

Yes, he went on to tell small lies about having a relationship with Beau later on. But those aren't the supposed lies that the recall was built on; it was built on the accusation that he'd lied about sex with a minor. We won't forget the later lying, and if a credible opponent comes along at the next election, there's a good chance he'll be made to pay for it (although that is a pretty huge "If" based on the last election...). But there's no way it's recallable now.

The possibility that he had indeed lied his way into power has been hanging around for months, but now it's gone. Therefore, the only valid (as in, not motivated either by political or homophobic principles) reason for a recall has just vanished. Anyone still wanting a recall is doing so either because they oppose his policies (in which case, that's what normal elections are for, so quit abusing the recall process) or because they're a homophobe.
30
Small lies, big lies, these are in the eye of the beholder, Stu, lest you forget.

I personally hold people who are asking me to support their bid for the power of the mayor's office in my town to a certain standard that bars the sexual chasing of out-of-control teenagers. The legality of that activity is irrelevant to me.

When I vote for someone based on their credible denials of any such behavior, I fucking EXPECT not to be duped.

Whatever. The chips will fall where they may, I am certain that we have an easy 32K plus signature haul in the offing.
31
Mr V: Right on! Sam's defenders can't legitimately defend him, so they attack the messengers.

Stu: You are clueless. Or delusional. "But those aren't the supposed lies that the recall was built on; it was built on the accusation that he'd lied about sex with a minor.'' This is NOT what he recall is all about. Go to the website and READ it for yourself.

Sam HIMSELF admitted that he lied to get elected. The results of the AG investigation do nothing to change this fact.

Sam used his political power to destroy the reputation of a political opponent to save his political life. He engaged in a deliberate cover-up. While none of this is illegal, it certainly is unethical and below the standards we expect from our political leaders.

And just because "all politicians lie" doesn't excuse it.


32
If a lying politician is cause for an election recall, then the people calling for an Adams recall need to be calling for recalls on a large number of other Oregon politicians, both Republican and Democrat....because at least 99% of the people holding office today have lied, somewhere along the campaign trail, in order to get elected. Small lies, big lies, whatever -- if your want for recall is based on lying, then why is the openly gay politician the only one coming under fire?
33
Blownspeaker,

You are so right! It's time to get every lying politician out of office.

Can you give me some names and instances of lying with other politicians? Thet'll be up next on the list for the boot.

And the ONLY way that gay issues are relevant in Adam's case is the way he manipulated people's sympathies with gay rights in order to smokescreen his own destructive behavior towards a confused and immature gay boy.

34
@Portland Lover

I've lived in Portland for 13 years. I lived in Texas from the ages of 0-10. I lived one other place for a few years as well. I don't see your point. I love how much I'm in your head that you have to online stalk me though. Also that you think where I was born is relevant in any discussion.

"Right on! Sam's defenders can't legitimately defend him, so they attack the messengers."

Especially when the messengers come in the form of Lars Larson, Victoria Taft, several bigots camping in front of city hall passing out religious tracts, and how many "soccer moms" from West Linn and Lake Oswego that complain about their back fat?

Legitimately defending Sam is kind of a hard thing to do with someone like you. I could give you countless reasons why one would lie about something like sex. I would probably start with the puritanical laws this country has propagated over the years that make things like sex really, really wrong to some people. Especially gay sex. The thing is...that still wouldn't be good enough for you would it?
35
it isn't about "poor gay" Adams, or "7 minutes of infamy breedlove"... or bike lanes, it's about a politician, who makes decisions for you, lying to you to get elected and further his career. can't even pay his mortgages, he's admitted his judgement is poor, lied and decieved on record, and now he's deciding how portland spends it's money?! Glad i don't live there anymore. i'd think the gay community would be peeved too. his behavior only serves to promote a negative stereotype. It's backwards. it WOULD be a bigger deal if it were older man and a young girl he inappropriately related with. He's only barely still mayor because he's practically shielded by the fact it's dealing with homosexuality, especially here in portland, capital of naive, feel-good/accomplish nothing, political correctness. well, reap what you sow portland. instead of being proud to have one of the few gay mayors in the country, you have a walking disgrace in office. oh, he's learned a lesson, he's sorry, he wants to move on, so he's a great mayor? Oh, and he's gay... in portland.... so obviously he can do no wrong. what a joke. recall that pig.
36
All people lie about sex and politicans are people too. Beau knew what he wanted and went after it, Sam was stupid enough to fall for it. He did not hunt him down, but Beau sure did.
Funny how the Media et al, pushed a private matter to the pulic that intern snorted it up like coke.
How many of you have something you would just die about if it got out? And how many of those things could be illegal or unethical? I wouuld bet 100% has something so bad lurking in the shadows just waiting for the media thugs to spew out in front of all to see, and god help you if you wnat to do something in the public eye.

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.