Portland
Former Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt went into seclusion last week after admitting he had sex with a 14-year-old girl who baby-sat his children in the 1970s. Goldschmidt was Portland’s mayor at the time. He later served as President Jimmy Carter’s transportation secretary, and then as governor, until abruptly retiring from politics in 1991. Goldschmidt, a Democrat, hurriedly confessed after a newspaper uncovered the secret, fueling public anger by characterizing the relationship as “an affair.” Republican lawmakers demanded that Goldschmidt’s portrait be removed from the capitol, and Portland Oregonian newspaper columnist Steve Duin said Goldschmidt should be treated like any “child molester.”
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
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.