Sam Adams, Portland Mayor, Won't Resign Over Lying About Sex With 18-Year-Old

PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Ore., said Sunday he would not resign despite calls for him to do so after he admitted he lied and asked a teenager to lie about their sexual relationship.

"Tomorrow, I go back (to) work as your mayor. I know I have let you down and made mistakes. I ask your forgiveness," Mayor Sam Adams said in a statement. "I believe I have a lot to offer the city I love during this time of important challenges."

Adams, who was just sworn in on Jan. 1, publicly apologized this past week for lying early in his campaign about the relationship with an 18-year-old man in 2005.

The scandal has resulted in an investigation by the Oregon attorney general and has divided the city and its gay and lesbian community. The police union and four Portland newspapers have called for his resignation, but Adams has found strong support to remain, including a Friday rally on his behalf at City Hall that drew more than 400 people.

In his statement, Adams said he would "work harder than I ever have in my life" to help see the city through the tough economic times.

Two of the leading business associations in Portland had taken a wait-and-see stance.

Steve Holwerda, Chairman of the Portland Business Alliance, said in a statement the board had differing views on whether Adams should resign but they agreed it was a critical time for the city and some of its major development projects.

"Whether or not he stays in office should be based on whether he can lead our city effectively and with the integrity that all our citizens deserve," Holwerda said.

But the board of the Portland Area Business Association went further and said Adams should remain in office, but added, "pending the outcome of official investigation."

The teenager, Beau Breedlove, was a legislative intern when he met the mayor at age 17. He and the mayor both say their sexual relationship started after his 18th birthday, in June 2005.

Breedlove, now 21, told The Oregonian on Saturday that the relationship was consensual.

"I do not see any relationship that I ever had with Sam as me being taken advantage of," Breedlove told the newspaper. "I do not feel like I was ever a victim."

When Adams confirmed the relationship this past week, he said it was inappropriate because of the age difference; Adams is now 45.

He also said he lied early in his mayoral campaign and asked Breedlove to lie as well because rumors at the time falsely suggested the relationship involved a minor.

Comments

[afreblack]

01:54 AM on 02/06/2009

Someone questions the double standard...oops, the outright racism in the Portland community and they are practically ignored. When Foxworth was demoted there were no issues involving age...just two consenting adults. So just how in the hell is an admitted lier who, based on his lie and cover-up, wins the election to be Mayor, not worse than what Foxworth did? Black man/white woman...NO! White man/white boy...that's ok.
And on the issue of age...was Breedlove on staff when he was 17? Does anyone think that when Adams asked him to lie, do you think he discussed the seriousness of Statutory rape, or sex with a minor? Does anyone think they know when the lies began and stopped? I don't really care what what anyone does in their private time behind closed doors but how is it that the double standard exist here and most ignore it?
What do all you fine upstanding folk in this community say to your children when and if they ask if the mayor is a lier or had sex with a teenager he was a role model for? Morals and integrity are not terms many of you are familiar with if you support a lier as your Mayor. And yes I heard, others lie too. They should be held to the same standard or you have racism and Soddom and Gomorra too.

[merryecho]

05:12 PM on 01/29/2009

Sorry jakester, but a 42 year old guy who thinks it's ok to make out with a 17 year old in the bathroom of city hall is not my first choice to be working with gay youth. And this doesn't address the multiple lie issue.

[jakesinger]

11:53 AM on 01/30/2009

Agreed, he acted terribly. Agreed, he's not a trustworthy teen chaperone. I'd like to think there's some way for a person to learn from his mistakes, but you're right, not at more young people's expense.

So, what can Sam Adams do to redeem himself? How can he learn what it means to be a responsible adult? How can he show the public he has truly changed?

[jakesinger]

02:07 PM on 01/29/2009

Want forgiveness? Help gay youth!

A man in his 40s should not fool around with a child of 17. It's unhealthy and unfair to the youngster. With so many gay teens committing suicide, we adults should give young gays our support and guidance, not play dangerous games with them. As mature as a teen may seem, there are a million ways dating a middle-aged person can harm him, emotionally and otherwise.

Sam Adams did not commit the most serious crime imaginable. I would call it a serious failure of judgment, and a lack of sensitivity to the needs of another. I could see voting for him in the future if he proved that he understood what it means to behave as a socially responsible adult.

What would that mean? Volunteering to help gay youth would say a lot. Assuming Sam Adams does not have a serious emotional disorder, I think it'd be great for him to spend a few hours a week helping set up events or fundraising for a gay youth group. That would probably help Sam Adams, as well, to grow.

[merryecho]

12:56 PM on 01/27/2009

Hart 44- "Just about everything you just said is completely untrue."

Care to elaborate? Or is this just because you say so? The only thing in my post that is open to any question is whether or not Adams would have been elected if he hadn't lied. That we will never know.

[as1504]

08:42 PM on 01/26/2009

This kid was an intern. The relationship borders on sexual harassment.

Everyone here excoriated Larry Craig for his cruising incident. Everyone laughed about Ted Haggard. When Mark Foley was found to be flirting with Congressional pages, though he did nothing illegal, people here were calling for him to resign. Granted, the first two have made a sport of gay bashing, but their intimate affairs with men has made many of us liberals giggle with glee, myself included. People here are less inclined to be sympathetic or defensive about conservatives who get caught in behaving in an untoward manner with a member of the same sex, but everyone is quoting the law chapter and verse to stick up for this unethical and predatory man.His staff told him the relationship looked bad (before he was 18), they told him the suspected that they were having an affair (before he turned 18), and he was urged to end it. Adams abused the trust of the voters, reinforced the idea that gay men cannot be trusted around young men, he had a political consultant contact this guy in order to teach him to lie about it, and he cynically invoked the word homophobia to cover up his lies. Worse still, he hired one of the reporters who had broken the story about him and this relationship for a job in city hall for which she had NO qualifications. He has cast a pall over the integrity of his office. He should go.

[hart444]

10:32 PM on 01/26/2009

Just about everything you just said is completely untrue.

[merryecho]

07:17 PM on 01/26/2009

Adams would probably not have been elected mayor if he had not lied, so he holds the office under false circumstances. This has NOTHING to do with his sexual orientation, it is about voters disgust with a 42 year old person plotting with their 17 year old intern to have sex as soon as the intern's birthday makes it "legal". Then lying about it and getting the intern to lie as well, and smearing the politcal opponent who brought it to light at the same time. Sam Adams can not be an effective mayor now.

[hart444]

10:30 PM on 01/26/2009

Breedlove was not Adams' intern, he did not even work for the city commisionors office, he was a legislative aid. Get your facts straight.

[aweissnet]

06:50 PM on 01/26/2009

Hey you know what? This is all distraction BS.

And the people who are wasting their energy attacking this guy's sex life are costing the rest of us the country, while the bankers are making off with it.

GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!

[rbryanh]

06:50 PM on 01/26/2009

Welcome to the Hypocrisy Party, an official function of ShameFest '09! No common sense allowed. Please check all facts, logical argument, and rational conclusions at the door.

Our story thus far... Two legal adults had consensual (and, I intuit, rather perky) sex. Neither made any complaint about the other. A political opponent then attempted to use this legal, harmless, and private encounter to damage the campaign of one of the parties. He and his partner the agreed to lie about it, to protect the career of one and the privacy of both. Neither was under oath. At no point has any law been broken.

Excepting the mildly unusual career choice of one party, the presence of the press, and the completely-irrelevant-but-nonetheless-frenzy-inducing number 18, this sounds a lot like my life.

The only thing remarkable here is that millions can cast the first stone simultaneously.

[xstevejx]

04:30 PM on 01/26/2009

As long as the younger guy was actually at least 18 when anything happened, I couldn't care less about this issue. As long as people's private lives don't adversely affect their job performance, it's THEIR private life and nobody else's GD business. Enough with all the political witch hunting!

[harriscrl3]

04:11 PM on 01/26/2009

I dont care if he doesnt resign but I certainly would not vote for him if lived in his city. The part that disturbs me is that they met when he was 17. So are we suppose to believe that nothing untoward happened until he turned 18. I find that hard to believe. He may be 18 and of age but he just turned 18 and this mayor is 45 and he worked for this mayor. Its inappropriate. People would find this troubling if this was a young girl so whats the difference. Poor judgement that calls into question his character. Hopefully the people will take care of it when he is up for reelction.

Carol

[ThePeacemakers]

03:50 PM on 01/26/2009

Michael Jackson (whatever you think) had to go to trial over sex with boys.
R. Kelley got invited to awards shows and walked with a video tape of him with an underage girl.

Boys are considered more "sacred" - face it.

[markinaz]

05:19 PM on 01/26/2009

Nah. Boys are just hornier.

[lak29]

03:08 PM on 01/26/2009

Really, the issue that really bugs me is the lying, twisting of details, and denouncing the fellow who alerted us to the issue back at the start of Adams' campaign. I am just sick of politicians' self preservation tactics! After the last 8 years of lies, I'm done. We, as a people, need to hold our representatives to a higher standard. I really think we have grown so accustomed to politicians' lies that we just accept it as the norm. why? Look at the hole, we as Americans, are in. A new age of transparency, honesty, and integrity should be demanded.

[OS2Guy]

02:53 PM on 01/26/2009

Why should he resign? It was consensual. The guy was over 18. The call for him to resign is because it was same sex. There are officials all over this country entering into consensual relationships with 18 year old girls and no one says a word. Sex is sex and as long as it is between two people who agree to do it and they are both of legal age, nothing anyone should say about it.

[lak29]

02:44 PM on 01/26/2009

18 years of age in legal indeed, but consider this: In our communities, there are 18 years high school students. Is it appropriate for a teacher/adminstrator to kiss or sleep with a high school senior? Gay or straight...inappropriate IMO...

[poliguy70130]

03:40 PM on 01/26/2009

Good point

[rbryanh]

05:36 PM on 01/26/2009

Your reasoning is faulty. Adams was not in a position of authority over Breedlove. The two situations are in no way equivalent.

[poliguy70130]

12:40 AM on 01/27/2009

Breedlove was an intern. So Adams was in a position of authority.

[joy00923]

02:35 PM on 01/26/2009

What is a 45 year old man doing sniffing around a teenager?
Is this the best Portland has to offer?

[rbryanh]

05:43 PM on 01/26/2009

I assume that's a rhetorical question, since the answer couldn't be more obvious.

You're implying that there's something wrong with a 45 year old man having sex with an 18 year old man. Oregon law disagrees with you, and so do I. Your comment reflects your own shame and little else.

When I was an 18 year old man, pursuing handsome middle aged guys brought me a great deal of happiness. Eventually I met one who was very special, and spent 14 years of my life with him, until his death.