Spokane
Two Washington men said Spokane Mayor James West molested them when he was their Boy Scout leader two decades ago, the Spokane Spokesman Review reported last week. West, a Republican and an outspoken opponent of gay rights, acknowledged that he’d “had relations with adult men,” but said he’d never abused children. The newspaper also reported that West offered its computer forensics expert, who was posing as an 18-year-old man on the Web site Gay.com, a City Hall internship and other gifts and favors. West, 54, denied he’d done anything wrong, and said he would take a short leave of absence to fight the charges. “I am a law-abiding citizen,” he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
