Mayor Sam Adams has admitted to the Willamette Week that he had sex with 18-year-old Beau Breedlove, an allegation he denied in the run up to the mayoral campaign last year.

The Mercury—along with several other news outlets in town—has been pursuing this story aggressively since soon after it first broke. In addition to Adams’ confession, Nigel Jaquiss’ article appears to imply that Adams hired former Mercury news editor Amy J.Ruiz in an effort to take her off the story. Adams denies the allegation.

It’s a fascinating account, and there will be plenty more to come, you can be sure. Stay tuned. Well done for breaking the story, Nigel.

Matt Davis was news editor of the Mercury from 2009 to May 2010.

14 replies on “WWeek Breaks Adams Admission Story”

  1. It’s never the act, it’s the cover up that gets you in trouble. All reporters should now be asking Sam Adams what else he lied about in past statements and interviews. They should also ask him what types of things we can expect him to lie about so we can be ready.

    For instance, are we supposed to believe he hired a reporter who had been covering this sex-with-an-almost-minor issue with no experience in the field to be his adviser? And not think there was some quid pro quo? Maybe. Maybe Ms. Ruiz will be a great adviser, but given the now proven straight up lying, we naturally have to question his honesty.

  3. The lying is bad, but it isn’t just the lying. Even if the intern was 18, Adams started a mentoring relationship with him when he was 17, and Adams was 41 or 42. Having sex with a young man, less than half his age, that, by Adam’s own admission, was mentoring to help grow professionally as a gay person, is wrong. Some therapists might call it “grooming.” I’m not a therapist, but Sam did more than just have sex. He violated trust, of this young man, and of the public.

    At the best, this is extremely poor judgement, at the worst, it is predatory behavior. I, for one, hope that Adams will apologize to that young man for taking advantage of this youth. A real apology, not a “I’ve made mistakes,” clintonesque, crap apology.

    Even if its legal, if it gives you an icky feeling in the gut, then its probably a little icky.

  4. Say one thing for him, Sam’s denials were very smooth. He really was convincing when he claimed to just want to help a young person get a good start in life. He remembered how tough it was for him when he was a gay teen… blah blah blah.

    Even Bill Clinton and Neil Goldschmidt never had that much gall.

    E

  5. It isn’t just the lying. It was Sam’s smug and self-righteous posturing when he lied. When he lied, he called the accusation “homophobic stereotype”. Since it turns out to be true, by Adams’ own rhetorical positioning, he is a homophobic stereotype.

  6. So the Merc’s news reporter knew about this story; stayed on the job; obviously negotiated behind the scenes for a position working for the man she was supposed to be reporting on; and got a nice raise in the process.

    She gets a job as a city sustainability director, despite admitting she has no governmental experience, no experience in sustainability, and no experience in city planning.

    Somewhere Phil Busse is shaking his head in admiration and saying “Damn, that girl’s good.”

    Is the Mercury ever going to answer questions about her last months on the Mercury payroll? Like: how long had she been wangling for the job in the very administration she was supposed to be covering? Because she sounded like a liar in the Willy Week article….and not a very good one.

  10. This stops being a private matter between an adult male & a minor – when repeated lies are told and others are sweared and then favors, jobs and the office and affluence of City Hall is used in conjunctions with this pathetic tale of bad judgement.

    Geeze – really pathetic.

    Cut to underqualified people getting jobs in the epicenter of this mess.

    Wow this does not suprise me – all of our City Council is filled with not even second tier staff. Potter’s chief of safety officer – Maria Rubio was in way over her head – brought nothing to the table, so Potter then employed her daughter Carmen Rubio too – once again -no qualifications except her Mama.

    Now Carmen Rubio is working for Nick Fish’s office. I’m certain Mama Maria will end up somewhere – Sam’s office?

    Cut to Mr. Redface Randy Leonard – you know there are many more skeletons in his closet. Please WWeek – keep pursuing – in any other City Randy would have been outted a long time ago. His chief of staff – Ty Kovatch HAS to be related to anger management issues Randy somehow. Ty’s esteemed qualifications – a poly sci degreee from Pacific University (Forest Grove, OR) Hmmmm. Okay.

    Amy Ruiz appointment – did Sam really think that would fly? Serious.

    I did have some hope for Sam but this past summer seeing Randy Leonard bully his way around Sam and Old Man Potter – and Sam not taking a leadership role made me realize he is not the man for this role.

    This City needs great minds that actually bring something to the table.

    Both Randy & Sam should resign now and give this City a chance to thrive with qualified & real leadership.

    Thank you WWeek.

    Yes – Matt Davis has gone weak on his reporting too. His last article about the infamous “secret list” used by the City in Old Town – not once mentioned Randy Leonard – hmmm – is Mr. Davis going to work for the Water Bureau next?

    I loved how the Merc is all over certain issues but can’t uphold intergity of it’s own staff yet questions all in Portlandia that does not accept their POV.

  12. Portlandia ~ this is a rotten issue, but you clearly know nothing about City politics. Stop speaking as if it’s from a place of authority – you’re clearly an idiot.

  14. Matt: perhaps you should just stop posting comments and concentrate on writing, i dunno, a *news* article?

    Especially since the comments are arrogant and obtuse, and do nothing to shed light on the main issue the Merc should be addressing.

    There must be an alt-weekly in Manchester that needs a calendar editor, eh?

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