Another Of Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors Bites The Dust

Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors has gained another member. Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle resigned effective as of 5 pm PDT today. He has been accused of child molestation by at least five men.

From Oregon Public Radio:

The resignation comes after a younger cousin accused him of sexual abuse in the 1970s.

The Seattle Times reports that Joseph Dyer, 54, accuses Murray of repeatedly molesting him when he was a teenager.

Dyer is the fifth man to accuse the mayor of such abuse.

Murray has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual abuse. He has said in the past that accusations from four men were part of a right-wing political agenda to take him down. According to the Times, Murray said the latest accusation is false and is likely because of a family rift.

Dyer says Murray forced him into sex while they shared a bedroom in Dyer’s childhood home, according to the Times. Dyer says he was 13 years old at the time. Murray lived with Dyer’s family in New York after his mother passed away.

Dyer has provided a signed declaration to a Seattle lawyer representing Delvonn Heckard, the man who sued Murray earlier this year for repeatedly raping him in the 1980s. The lawsuit has since been withdrawn but Heckard has filed a claim for damages against the city of Seattle.

Murray denies the claims of molestation but nonetheless has resigned. I hate to say it but you don't publicly accuse someone of child molestation over a mere family rift. Dyer, Murray's cousin, provided a signed declaration to the attorney representing Delvonn Heckard who had also accused Murray of molestation.

I don't know if the statute of limitations has passed or not. However, child molestation is one of the most sordid of crimes especially when done by either a family member or someone in a position of authority. Murray was a family member of Dyer and a counselor to the other men. Resignation from his mayoral post and deciding not to run for re-election seems to me an effort on the part of Murray to hide as much of these incidents as possible.

I hope these men get the justice that they deserve. Three years ago the headline in the Seattle Times read, "Big winners: gun control and Mayor Ed Murray." How times have changed in Seattle for at least one of these two.