Adams acknowledges sexual relationship with 18-year-old, lying about it in 2007
Update • Adams schedules public apology, has no plans to resign
By Jim Redden
The Portland Tribune, Jan 19, 2009, Updated 5.4 hours ago
Mayor Sam Adams is scheduled to publicly apologize Tuesday afternoon for lying about a sexual relationship he had with a teenager in 2005.
Adams is set to deliver the apology at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. It is unclear whether he will answer questions about the relationship and his previous statements about it.
On Monday evening Adams told the Portland Tribune he has no plans to resign over the controversy. He said the teenager was 18 years old when their relationship became sexual in the summer of 2005. Rumors about the relationship first surfaced publicly in 2007 when Adams was beginning his campaign for mayor.
“I have no plans to resign, but I also know that I need to apologize for what I said at the time,” Adams told the Portland Tribune early Monday evening.
Adams talked to the Tribune from Washington, D.C., where he is attending a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting and was planning to attend Barack Obama's presidential inauguration.
Although Adams was scheduled to testify before Congress later this week, Adams said he is cutting the visit short and will return to Portland soon.
“I should have told the truth from the beginning,” said Adams, who would not predict how the news — first reported Monday afternoon by Willamette Week on its Web site — would affect his tenure.
Adams took office as mayor on Jan. 1.
Adams first met Beau Breedlove when Breedlove was a 17-year-old aide at the Oregon Legislature. Adams said Breedlove was 18, the legal age of consent in Oregon, when they had a sexual relationship in the summer of 2005.
Adams repeatedly denied having a sexual relationship with Breedlove when rumors about it surfaced in September 2007. At the time, Adams admitted meeting Breedlove during a 2005 lobbying trip to Salem, and acknowledged he met with him several times later because Breedlove was interested in politics and was considering coming out as a gay man.
But on Monday afternoon, Adams told Willamette Week the relationship did become sexual — only after Breedlove turned 18, however.
"I want to publicly acknowledge I made a mistake and apologize for it," Willamette Week quoted Adams as saying on its Web site Monday afternoon. "In the past, I've characterized my relationship with Beau Breedlove as purely non-sexual and that is not true."
Portland city Commissioner Randy Leonard agreed Adams should not resign because of the relationship.
“I don’t see how it’s anybody’s business,” said Leonard, a longtime supporter of Adams. “I can understand vigorously investigating if someone’s underage, but not if the relationship is between two adults.”
Rumors of the relationship first surfaced publicly when Adams was considering running for Mayor. At the time, Adams issued an open letter to Portlanders in which he denied the rumors. The letter is vague on whether Adams was denying having any relationship with Breedlove, or denying only a relationship before he turned 18.
“I will not dignify the substance of this smear by repeating it — if you read the accounts you will see there is no foundation to it. The reason is simple: it is untrue,” said the letter posted on Adams’ website.
Both Adams and Breedlove denied they had a sexual relationship when interviewed by the media, however. Adams now said he did not believe anyone would believe him if he told the truth because of the way the rumors were being spread.
Although Leonard defended Adams against the rumors at the time, saying he had discussed the situation with him. Leonard now tells the Tribune he limited his questions to Adams to the time when Breedlove was 17.
“It’s not appropriate to ask about what happens between consenting adults,” Leonard said.
Adams now says Breedlove urged him to be honest about their relationship when the rumors first surfaced. Instead, Adams said he asked Breedlove to lie about it as well.
“I want to apologize to Beau, to my colleagues, and, most importantly, to the people of Portland,” said Adams.
Update • Adams schedules public apology, has no plans to resign
By Jim Redden
The Portland Tribune, Jan 19, 2009, Updated 5.4 hours ago
Mayor Sam Adams is scheduled to publicly apologize Tuesday afternoon for lying about a sexual relationship he had with a teenager in 2005.
Adams is set to deliver the apology at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. It is unclear whether he will answer questions about the relationship and his previous statements about it.
On Monday evening Adams told the Portland Tribune he has no plans to resign over the controversy. He said the teenager was 18 years old when their relationship became sexual in the summer of 2005. Rumors about the relationship first surfaced publicly in 2007 when Adams was beginning his campaign for mayor.
“I have no plans to resign, but I also know that I need to apologize for what I said at the time,” Adams told the Portland Tribune early Monday evening.
Adams talked to the Tribune from Washington, D.C., where he is attending a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting and was planning to attend Barack Obama's presidential inauguration.
Although Adams was scheduled to testify before Congress later this week, Adams said he is cutting the visit short and will return to Portland soon.
“I should have told the truth from the beginning,” said Adams, who would not predict how the news — first reported Monday afternoon by Willamette Week on its Web site — would affect his tenure.
Adams took office as mayor on Jan. 1.
Adams first met Beau Breedlove when Breedlove was a 17-year-old aide at the Oregon Legislature. Adams said Breedlove was 18, the legal age of consent in Oregon, when they had a sexual relationship in the summer of 2005.
Adams repeatedly denied having a sexual relationship with Breedlove when rumors about it surfaced in September 2007. At the time, Adams admitted meeting Breedlove during a 2005 lobbying trip to Salem, and acknowledged he met with him several times later because Breedlove was interested in politics and was considering coming out as a gay man.
But on Monday afternoon, Adams told Willamette Week the relationship did become sexual — only after Breedlove turned 18, however.
"I want to publicly acknowledge I made a mistake and apologize for it," Willamette Week quoted Adams as saying on its Web site Monday afternoon. "In the past, I've characterized my relationship with Beau Breedlove as purely non-sexual and that is not true."
Portland city Commissioner Randy Leonard agreed Adams should not resign because of the relationship.
“I don’t see how it’s anybody’s business,” said Leonard, a longtime supporter of Adams. “I can understand vigorously investigating if someone’s underage, but not if the relationship is between two adults.”
Rumors of the relationship first surfaced publicly when Adams was considering running for Mayor. At the time, Adams issued an open letter to Portlanders in which he denied the rumors. The letter is vague on whether Adams was denying having any relationship with Breedlove, or denying only a relationship before he turned 18.
“I will not dignify the substance of this smear by repeating it — if you read the accounts you will see there is no foundation to it. The reason is simple: it is untrue,” said the letter posted on Adams’ website.
Both Adams and Breedlove denied they had a sexual relationship when interviewed by the media, however. Adams now said he did not believe anyone would believe him if he told the truth because of the way the rumors were being spread.
Although Leonard defended Adams against the rumors at the time, saying he had discussed the situation with him. Leonard now tells the Tribune he limited his questions to Adams to the time when Breedlove was 17.
“It’s not appropriate to ask about what happens between consenting adults,” Leonard said.
Adams now says Breedlove urged him to be honest about their relationship when the rumors first surfaced. Instead, Adams said he asked Breedlove to lie about it as well.
“I want to apologize to Beau, to my colleagues, and, most importantly, to the people of Portland,” said Adams.
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