From Portland Online:
Statement from Sam
I want to publicly acknowledge a mistake I have made and I want to apologize for it.
In the past, I have characterized my relationship with Beau Breedlove as purely non-sexual. That is not true. Beau Breedlove and I had a sexual relationship for a few months in the summer of 2005 after he turned 18 years of age.
I should have been honest at the time about the true nature of my relationship with Beau Breedlove when questions about my relationship with him first surfaced publicly in October 2007. In fact, Beau encouraged me to be honest about the facts of our relationship. I am deeply sorry that I asked him to lie for me.
I lied at the time because I was afraid that people would believe untrue rumors, being circulated by an undeclared mayoral opponent, that I had broken a law involving sexual relations with a minor. But this is not a good excuse.
Until today, with the exception of Beau, I have not discussed with anyone the true nature of my relationship with him: not with my colleagues, staff, friends or family.
I apologize to Beau for asking him to lie for me. I apologize to my colleagues for my poor handling of this matter. I apologize to the people of Portland for my dishonesty. I should have been truthful from the beginning.
Mayor Sam Adams
I’m shocked that the Mercury FINALLY reported on this.
Will he apologize to Rob Ball? It’s now clear that the way he tried to smear Rob was despicable.
Complicity in this by Mark Weiner and Amy Ruiz doesn’t say much for their ethics either.
Time to dust off Ye Olde Oregon Constitution, Article II, §18. And we’re going to need ORS 249.865-249.877 too, cause it’s recall time.
(Maybe we should get rid of Randy while we are at it?)
One small step forward for gays turns into a huge disgraceful leap back. How many stereotypes does this strengthen? I was so proud of him, now I’m totally disgusted. He will be a black eye for the gay community for decades to come.
I care about Sam Adams as a person. I care more for the city of Portland and the people he has devastated by his actions. I am sad to say it but the mayor must resign.
Let’s see. Moore leaves, and Ruiz pursues the story. Ruiz leaves, and Matt Davis gives us a daring expose on the price of cheesecake.
Makes sense to me.
I for one don’t really give a rat’s ass about this. Yeah, he shouldn’t have fucked that kid. Yeah, he shouldn’t have lied about it.
But whatever, we didn’t elect the man to be a paragon of sexual virtue. We elected him because he is a competent and very intellegent public executive. The only reason this should involve resignations or recalls is if he has lost enough political capital that he is no longer able to be an effective Mayor.
But then, if Tom Potter can declare that he’s not relevant six months before he leaves office, maybe we’ve got a higher-than-usual tolerance for ineffective executives.
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.
What the fuck does it matter? it has nothing to do with his mayoral abilities. everyone likes sex. end.
No, not “end.” Comradxwx. He lied. He asked others to lie. I supported him because, in a world over-run with lying BushCo assholes, he seemed to be one of the only sincere, decent, non-lying people around anymore.
And don’t you dare try to conflate that with prudishness. Who that guy fucks matters not one whit to me.
And also: I guess this explains why a 20-something alt-weekly general assignment reporter suddenly gets as Mayor “strategic planning and sustainability policy advisor.” Been wondering about that.
I would likely write this off as just another disappointment, another public figure I liked making a tremendous error in judgment…if it was JUST the sex (Read Barney Frank’s recent New Yorker profile for proof that there’s political life after a sex scandal with a much younger man).
The lying and this business with Amy’s appointment bothers me, and will make me suspicious of Adams’ continued service to Portland. It’s too bad; I like his policies and was proud to elect him mayor.
And Mercury, I know this is breaking news, but when are we going to get a statement from you regarding Amy Ruiz?
If Beau was indeed 18-years-old and does not feel exploited by Sam Adams, than this incident is none of our business. If, however, Beau feels Sam Adams misused power in their relationship, than that would be a different story.
I feel their sexual relationship is none of our business and the Willamette Week article is exploiting the young man. Sam Adams is absolutely right in saying he believed that homophobia would have caused him not to be elected if this story would have come out before the election. If he did nothing wrong, Adams had every right to not want his personal life revealed. Many voters would have assumed he was lying about the fact that their relationship began after Beau turned 18 years old.
Does this line drawn in the sand determining adulthood mean Beau was ready for a relationship with Adams? Only Beau can judge how his relationship with Adams will effect his self-esteem and future and unfortunately he will have to sort out any positive or negative effects from the relationship from the negative effects of this exploitative story.
Was Adam’s relationship with Breedlove a misuse of power? If Adams was not Breedlove’s supervisor or teacher, it seems that their relationship is not a misuse of power. Does their age difference alone make their relationship a misuse of power? Would the same question be asked if this were a heterosexual relationship between two single adults with a large age difference?
As long as Sam Adams did not break any laws, we have no right to judge him. If Beau Breedlove feels no harm was done, than we need to honor the young man’s feelings and not further exploit him. This ridiculous publicity of a private relationship will in the end turn out to be much more exploitative than anything arising from the relationship itself.
Too bad. I’m straight, but I was happy our city voted in a gay man without much, if any, significant discussion of his sexuality. Now here he is bringing up the old gay+underage stereotype (even if it’s technically untrue). Reminds me of a scandal many of you are too young to remember where a prominent local lesbian made a big deal of being harassed and garnered a lot of sympathy until it was discovered to be a hoax. That was a setback for local gays. Oh, well… If he survives this scandal and doesn’t end up having to register as a sex offender, it’ll probably be a generation before another gay has a shot at being mayor. Not fair, I know, but that’s how things work. At least at this time.
For clarification,
“And Mercury, I know this is breaking news, but when are we going to get a statement from you regarding Amy Ruiz?”
What questions would you expect such a statement to address?
Matt, you’re dumb, but not that dumb. Stop being coy and address the concern.
If this was consensual, who gives a shit? We elected this guy because we care about progressive politics, not sex lives. Yes, let’s definitely go with some middling do-nothing like we’ve had, so that we can feel good about our moral superiority.
We need to step up and start a movement to recall the mayor for this blatant violation of the public’s trust.
Email me at recall@recallsamadams.com if you support a recall and if you’re willing to help.
I thought the “creative class” were precisely the ones working as bartenders, waiters, and baristas…
Who the fuck cares?! How does this affect the business of the city?
It effects the business of our city because it proves Sam Adams is a liar, and puts his own short sighted interests before the truth. Our leaders are supposed to have vision, and we trust them to make good choices. Sam Adams is a TOOL! Do what ever and say what ever will get him elected…now he has shown his true colors.
“There are no Gay idiots, there are go Straight idiots, there are just idiots.”
Matt,
“What questions would you expect such a statement to address?”
I would expect you address the concern that your news reporter spiked a story to attain a job in Adams’ office. Was that unclear? I like it to be addressed as to whether anyone else was privy to Amy’s information. To your credit, I see that you’re looking for other applicants to Amy’s position…that’s a good start.
And Jake…that was my point exactly. Frank came clean after his scandal and survived. My problem with Adams is the cover up.
Because private consensual sex is irrelevant to city business, the real issue at hand is that Adams lied during his campaign (about something irrelevant to public policy).
Somehow I can’t find it* in me to get outraged about this. I’m certainly not naive enough to think everything said in a campaign is true, and I can’t imagine there’d be nearly so much uproar if it weren’t for the OMG SEX factor.
“[He] puts his own short sighted interests before the truth.”
I don’t have to (or want) to know the truth about everyone’s private sex life. People lie about sex. …and this is apparently news.
*enough puritan tight-assery
Perhaps the voters should stop asking questions that have no relavance to the position. Don’t pry into a persons private life and then act like asshats when they admit they didn’t tell you every last detail.
I really don’t see why he should resign or be recalled. What is it to you what he does in his bedroom? You are a bunch of hyprocrites if you were to say you would address your sex life to the public in the same situation. Seriously, his sex life has nothing to do with the business of the city. He is apologising for his lie. Accept it and move on. It’s not that big of a deal that he slept with an 18 year old. And so what they he didn’t address it to the public. You know why!? BECAUSE IT’S NOT OUR BUSINESS WHO HE IS HAVING SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH!
Who cares? All he did was lie from the beginning, portraying himself as a “mentoring” hero, guiding a young gay professional through his early professional career, a martyr and victim of “sterotypical homophobic” attacks from a smear-merchant.
He put a compliant reporter on the payroll, and tried to transfer power to councilman willing to keep his secret. Then lied again even when presented with the evidence. Only when the story hit the wires, and he realized that this was the perfect weekend to unload some bad news, did he come clean. And then just enough truth to not implicate himself in any crimes.
You know, standard mayor political maneuvering. Why are you people so upset? You would have done the same thing in his position, give the poor guy a break.
That’s right all, If ANY ONE OF YOU had the clout to pull this off you’d be doing it too. You ‘know’ you would! So quit being a little whiner and run for office or STFU”.
Also, where is Statutory Ray? I was looking forward to his comments on this controversy being the astute observer he is.
Well, knock me over with a feather. I’m shocked, just shocked, that a gay man would have sex with a teenager and then lie about it. I’m not buying it personally. I think it’s part of a vast right-wing conspiracy.
who cares? if all of you were in his shoes, you would have lied, too. please stop being so self righteous people. it is his personal life. it’s no ones business, but for some reason the some of you in the public seems to think it is. it’s ridiculous. i feel more shame for the people asking him to step down. it’s shameful that the public made him feel he had to make this apology. it’s not my business, it’s not your business. go back to work and grow up people. leave the man to his private life and get back to your own.
All I can say is look at my blog on January 09. What is it about the young? http://obnoxiousartist.blogspot.com/2009/0…
What can I say, we tend to make fools of ourselves. Does it make him unqualified to be mayor?. I say no. But, If you are a public official and your out of the closet, make sure all the stuff hanging in there is known. Otherwise it will bite you in the ass.
Mike
Sam,
I think it is clear you are a politician and being a politician sometimes
involves having to lie to play the game. If you’d have spoken the truth at that time, the smearing and rumour of underage impropriety would have taken the stage, not the facts.
You were single…he was not underage.
It’s none of our business.
Do I think one should sleep with one’s intern?
No. There is clearly a position of power there.
Is it against the law? I don’t think so.
I would prefer it if we lived in a country where we could be frank and open 100% of the time without it being twisted and turned around to meet someone else’s agenda.
I support you Sam. I’m disappointed and sad that this is the thing people want
to focus on. I wish you had made a different choice about getting involved with him period.
BUT….
I hope you will have such an amazing career in office that it will overshadow
this and you will leave office with a legacy of all the good things you were able to accomplish- with a tiny footnote about being a human being.
Who made a mistake.
In Europe it would likely go unmentioned but for the ‘Gay’ story interest.
This country sells sex and youth at every opportunity but is ridiculously prudish
when it comes to the reality of human behavior. How many older men have slept with their secretaries through the centuries? It happens. I don’t particularly agree with the power dynamic or ethics of it, but come on, it’s human behavior.
Please know I will be supporting you in this way in EVERY conversation that comes up about this.
Let’s hope that this topic of conversation lasts but for a short time.
Best to you Sam
Richard Ludt LMT
Does no one else think that Beau Breedlove is the most amazing name you’ve ever heard in a political sex scandal? My god, you basically have to sleep with someone with that name. It’s so good! God it’s so good.
I think the fact that this is an issue shows up how deep-rooted homophobia is in our culture.
Repaint the story with Beau Breedlove as a young woman. No one but her mother would care. Because older men routinely have sex with younger women, and we have a cultural agreement that this is okay.
I agree with Graham. We elected him to do a job. His legal sex life, however imprudent is not about that job.
Clinton lied. I still thought he was a great president.
Now Sam Adams lied. I know he has no excuse. But when I overlook this mess and see him as a person, mayor, he has done a great job and worked hard to be where he’s at and for the city of portland.
I know he did something unethical, but it wasn’t illegal. I don’t think he should resign.
Read the published statement by Breedlove. Read Sam’s statement again.
Everything was legal. They’re ok with things. Intimate relationships between consenting adults are their business only.
But apparently Robert Ball things it’s his biz too.
So he lied about it because he feared people’s judgment.
From some of the comments I’ve heard I feel he did the right thing.
And look at it in context…
He didn’t try to sell a congressional seat after it was vacated by our new Prez, or divert funds from FEMA to fund a war.
Who got the biggest exposure and punishment? The “smaller fish”. People strike out where they believe they have the power to do so.
In the big picture, this is a very very minor event.
Again, reread the statements from Adams and Breedlove.
We’re wasting time and the tax payer’s money here.
Let’s get onto city biz.
Maybe we should instead focus our efforts on people who are loosing jobs, like at Intel who just announced they’re closing shop here.
I forgot to add…
If you do ask Sam to resign or get him recalled..
Please make sure you find a mayor who has
Never Ever lied to anyone ever!
Sam Adams blew it. Sure. He messed up in the handling of the crazy monkey witch hunt that WW began. Maybe it all spiraled out of hand. Perhaps he felt guilty about the carnal / power elements in his relationship with the boy. Perhaps he has a predilection for young men or youth in general. Who cares? How did this impact his work? It didn’t, not until WW got a wiff of it and turned it into something. Now Sam Adam’s sex life does impact his work. Thanks WW. Does anyone hear an echo of the Bush administration’s “the end justifies the means” logic here? (We went to Iraq to fight al Qaeda, who weren’t there until we went to Iraq).
What has impacted his work, however, was the heat put on him by the WW. This led to stupid mistakes and deception. It appears mr adams can’t manage deception and he may not be able to handle money, according to Pete’s dad, a life long resident of PDX who hates the guy. But I maintain that his private life is his. And the WW is once again out FOXing even FOX News.
I think WW caught wind of some salacious stink and considering how good this kind of strange and possibly sordid relationship will play to the narrow minded puritan wankers that inhabit this land, it was a stink they could not let go of. Now they are costing people of Portland money, and they have done this to sell papers and to feel like righteous “journalists” keeping the public informed of important things like sam adam’s sex life.
This is right up there with the HydroHogs thing they run every year, when they “out” the private citizens who use the most water in Portland. It does not matter that these citizens PAY FOR THE WATER. Nor does it seem to mater to WW that – for geographical reasons – there will never be a shortage of potable water in Portland – not in ten years, not in 100. And it does not matter that due to the ever increasing efficiencies of water use there is LESS water consumed by Portland residents now than ever (per capita). This kind of public humiliation is what is done by communist Chinese…and Rush Limbaugh.
I may be wrong in my little hypothesis, this is all speculation, but I suspect that WW have a major hand in creating a stinking pile out of a dirty affair and a stupid smear. Adam’s fumbled, perhaps to play the political game and avoid the public eye, knowing that the public are perverts who will always make attribution errors against politicians, or maybe because he has a habit of young men that he needs to accept in himself. But again: ho does this impact his job?
And the WW reporter who wouldn’t let go of the hot stink that she must have felt might get her a killer feature, but was happy to take the job? What the fuck does “sustainability” even mean in her job? I’ve heard that Adams is in the process of combining the Office of Sustainability with the Bureau of Development Services — these are the real city planners. I doubt she has much say in any of the real sustainable planning that goes on. She’s more likely a liaison. Reporters are often taken on as PR folks because they know the business. I used to have great respect for Mr. Jaquiss. Sad to see a good journalist become consumed by his own ego that he looses track of good taste – kind of reminds me of Sam Adams. But I still maintain that the WW is the real pervert at this bonfire.