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Gay Portland Mayor Won't Resign Over Lying About Relationship With Teen

Associated Press
Published | Updated

PORTLAND, Ore. – The mayor of Portland, Ore., told city commissioners Sunday he will not resign despite calls for him to do so after he admitted he lied and asked a teenager to lie about their sexual relationship.

Mayor Sam Adams publicly apologized this past week for lying early in his campaign about the relationship with an 18-year-old man in 2005.

City Comissioner Randy Leonard told the Associated Press that Adams left him a phone message Sunday morning saying he had decided to remain in office.

Two other commissioners told The Oregonian newspaper that Adams told them so as well.

Adams did not immediately respond to calls from the AP seeking his comment.

Adams met separately with the four city commissioners on Saturday to privately discuss his political future just three weeks after being sworn in.

The scandal has resulted in an investigation by the Oregon attorney general and has divided the city and its gay and lesbian community. But Adams has found strong support to remain, including a Friday rally on his behalf at City Hall that drew more than 400 people.

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.

Leonard said the city council planned to meet Monday. He has been in charge of the city as president of the city council, and he told AP he would like to get the issue resolved as soon as possible to make sure city business gets done.

"At a minimum, this is very distractive," Leonard said.