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Special Coverage: Kroger Won't Charge Sam Adams
The news this morning is that Oregon Attorney General John Kroger won't pursue criminal charges stemming from Sam Adams's relationship with Beau Breedlove.
Now what?
What does this do to the recall effort? (Nothing at all, says recall campaign spokesperson Jason Wurster.)
What details are you paying attention to?
What does the report (you can read the full pdf here) — and the fact that there most likely that Adams won't have a day in criminal court — mean for the court of public opinion.
Tagged as: john kroger · sam adams
Photo credit: Pete Springer, OPB News
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Peacecat,
If John Kroger had decided to pursue charges against Adams for sexual contact with a minor — in this case a 17-year-old — would you be saying the same thing?
Thanks,
Dave
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Very well said, Peacecat.
This issue should never have become an issue. I am sorry and embarrassed to see that it became one. Mayor Adams has proven himself a hard worker, and a true and vocal representative of Portland's deepest interests. This is what we elected him to do, his job.
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Sam Adams betrayed our trust while he was pursuing a young intern. How would you feel if it had been your son or daughter. He abused his position of power and then lied to cover it up. He wasn't protecting us. He was trying to advance his political career just like politicians all over this country.
However, I think the AG did the right thing because the evidence isn't there to get a conviction.
Should Sam be Mayor? That is another issue.
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Sam Adams is a complete degenerate. It has nothing to do with him being gay. If he was a conservative who met a 17 year old female intern I would feel the exact same way. The issue is his total lack of judgement or self-control. He was supposed to be mentoring someone, helping them to gain valuable experience for a future career, instead he pursued a physical relaionship with that person. That said, the worst thing that ever happened to him was being elected mayor. If he wasn't the mayor no one would know of or care about Beau Breedlove.
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It’s time to move on. Let our Mayor keep doing his job and lets focus time and financial resources towards actual issues facing our city. I may not agree with all the choices the Mayor has made but as previously reported, he has come through on campaign promises.
Breedlove was a victim of the media and the Mayor’s opponents, not the mayor himself.
Just because something is illegal doesn’t make it inherently immoral. Most of the people I know , both heterosexual and homosexual, have admitted to having older partners before they were of legal age and not once did they feel like victims.
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As long as sex motivates behavior we will have these event occur throughout all elements of society. Why do we think politics should be different? From my hearing of the press conference the man bringing these charges against Adams has/had a financial interest; Adams has a political interest. These two counter each other and what the Atty Gen came up with is reasonable. Do I think Adams misbehaved, of course? Do I care? No. We need to get over our contradictory puritanism and let government proceed.
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It's never been about the kisses/sex/whatever -- it's been about the lies. I didn't vote for a Mayor who would be caught misbehaving in the City Hall restroom, or a Mayor who would be the subject of a zillion hits on Google. Beau is criticized for being inconsistent? How about Sam being recalled for being a liar -- over, and over, and over.
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So Beau lies because Mr. Adams tells him to and now he has less credibility than Mr. Adams? This is ridiculous.
And to Bluna, a 42 year old man in power having a relationship with a teenager is wrong--morally and legally. Lying about it and accusing an opponent of a smear campaign is also wrong. Back Sam if you like, but do it knowing you are backing a deeply flawed man and a habitual liar.
As a queer in Portland I DO NOT support Mr. Adams and I dare say if he had an "R" next to his name rather than a "D" Portlanders would be in the streets in droves.
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No---having sex with a willing 17-year-old should not be a crime---Democrat, Republican, straight or gay. If it was an 18-year-old having sex with a 17-year-old we wouldn't be having a conversation like this. So because it was someone older, it becomes a moral offense? Where do we draw the line? Why do we discriminate between age and its relation to sex?
There are a lot of manipulative 17-year-olds. If one is guilty of something, then they both are. I've personally met Mr. Breedlove and I have to say from my (superficial) opinion he seems sleazy and exactly the type of person who would seek out someone older, perhaps with money or perhaps with power.
I don't particularly like Mr. Adam's demeanor or style, but his relationship with Mr. Breedlove is irrelevant and our interest in it is antiquated and puritanical. -
. . . which brings up the completely artificial concept of "age of consent", a moving target in both space and time.
If the alleged relationship had taken place in a far-away land, like, say, Vancouver, Washington, there would have not been ANY legal issue, for they have chosen to set their age of consent for intercourse at 16 years. Clearly they're more mature across the river, as our age is 18, just like that bastion of progressive thought, Utah.
Things would have been different in Vancouver (Canada) as well, where the age is also 16 . . . but was recently changed from 14!!
So I guess until Oregon's laws catch up we're stuck with these fiascos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America
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Is it fairly apparent that the trust is still broken between Sam and the people of Portland. Even after John Kroger disclosed his findings, the biggest question on everyone's lips is "How do we know that the truth was told to the investigators?"
Faith is not restored. Suspicion endures.
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Politicians = telling the truth. It is an oxymoron.
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jewels - some politicians actually do tell the truth. Are you saying that, because you think that all politicians always lie, it's okay for them to lie?
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First of all, Sam didn't lie under oath, he lied to a reporter whom he knew for a number of years. The reporter asked him an inappopriate question, and Sam's instinct was to lie rather than say, "My sex life is none of your business and I refuse to answer it." This kind of lying is fairly natural behavior - particularly for gay men - and is a much 'easier' response to the question than to suddenly say, "That's none of your business" to a person whom you've talked to for years.
Second, by all accounts, Beau stalked Sam - not the other way around - so it's not as if Sam were a sexual predator.
Third, Sam may have kissed the young man while he was still 17, but that is not criminal behavior. They didn't actually have sexual relations until Beau was a legal adult, which makes the affair officially no one's business.
Finally, in most other states, the age of consent is either 16 or 17, so if this had happened anywhere else, it wouldn't have been an issue.
Let's move on.
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What people do on their own time is their business. I love Sam, he is great. This is rediculous and has nothing to do with being a Mayor. Lets remember how critical people are these days about the controversies of sex, gay or not, young or old... We should not blame him for denying those claims, any one of us would have done the same thing. ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! BUTT OUT! If we all were judged by what we do in our own bedroom, half the nation would be in purgatory...lets give it break already. Sam is great and he is staying, get over it.
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This entire affair is sordid and not up to the standards of a great progressive city like Portland. Adams has not shown me that he can manage his personal affairs or the affairs of this city: Lying in his campaign about having any relationship with Breedlove, the Coliseum/MLS/Beavers Baseball, Cesar Chavez Blvd./Bridge/Park, foreclosure of his own houses... The list goes on. There might not be enough to prosecute him, but I certainly don't want him as my mayor.
But if not him? Who? Where are our LEADERS?
Michele
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If ever there was someone on trial in the press this is a glaring example. From the AG being asked the same questions over and over by reporters, to a station that constantly tells us that it serves more than portland devoting an additional hour to a situation most people in the state could care less about. Besides when ever has there been a politician that doesn't lie?
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Oh, the licentious thrills of Yellow Journalism!
Is there any bottom to the level that OPB and TOL will go? At what point would you even find your own behavior offensive?
Shame on you.
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To Scottmil: Where do we draw the line? We could start with looking at brain development--a 17 years olds brain is not fully formed. Where do YOU draw the line? If a 10 year old says, sure I'll kiss you there, is that consent? Is that okay?
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We draw the line on a case-by-case basis. You can get married at age 14 in some places. You can enlist in the army with parental consent at age 17. You can kill your parents and blow up a school as a teenager, but if you have sex with someone older you are an innocent victim, please.
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So true! Our government and some parents will give 17 year olds lethal weapons and training but oh no you aren’t mature enough to kiss an older individual! Great logic people!
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Of course it’s about sex! Adams lied because of “sex”!
Weather he had that relationship with Breedlove or not it should have not affected why one would have voted for Adams or not.
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I'm not saying burn Sam at the stake. I'm saying, as a queer and a democrat, he does not represent me nor do I think he belongs in office given he lied to get there, continued to lie afterwards and told a teen to lie as well. I wouldn't hire someone who lied in this manner to mow my yard and certainly don't want him running our city.
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As another gay (democrat) in the village, which has nothing to do with this, I would hire a liar on this topic without hesitation to mow my lawn or run my city.
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You know... I can confirm that Sam Adams has a very vindictive streak. Anyone who has had professional contact with him knows that side of him. He and his right hand Tom Miller have been known to attack those who are not on the same page. Byron Beck is a partisan through and through in this argument.
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Thank you Mr. Kroger, but most of us already know that this is not about sex. This is about a politician lying, in order to win, during a campaign.
Portlanders, haven’t we have had enough of this style of politics? There is no better way to avoid this
dishonest behavior in the future politics of Portland: Proceed with the recall.
Let all politicians and candidates know we will not tolerate lying to the public.
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He lied about something that had nothing to do with anyone else! We all lie!
Why aren’t these same people after the Bush administration who killed Americans and other people around the world using lies? We have to weigh which lies actually affect others and which don’t.
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It had quite a lot to do with a certain teenager. And you bet I protested in the streets against the Iraq war and Bush's lies.
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For those of us who object to homosexual activity, for religious reasons, this whole thing has been fairly predictable. However, if we are going to talk about anyone's private life down to the point of their consensual sex, or a lie about it, few would be able to cast the first stone.
This has gone on long enough. I think that the mayor's work for the city has been good. Any more mudslinging will cripple the city council's important work in a time of great change. Could we change the subject?
Jo Anna
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I am a 37 year old gay woman. Been out since I was 14.
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It is unfortunately the case that Mr. Adams chose to lie about his involvement with Mr. Breedlove. Perhaps it can be understood in the context of the witch-hunt which ensued after the "truth came out". How sad that this opportunity for a gay man to be seen as an effective leader is being overshadowed by a scandal such as this.
Let's assume that the only lie was about the relationship per se, and that no illegal activity took place. Had Mr. Adams "come clean" -- about a gay relationship, after all -- he would have been ostracized and become unelectable.
This not about lying -- it's about lying about sex, and GAY sex at that.
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Grew up in rural Ohio, hardly a bastion of liberalism.
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This is NOT about being gay! At all. It's about bad judgement. If a professor had sex with a student who was over 18 they would be fired.
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This man using being gay as an excuse for Sam to lie is apalling. Sam is a white man(straight acting, even) in one of the most liberal cities in the US. Being a supporter of Mr. Adams is one thing--being an apologist for his lying is quiet another.
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I stand by my comment: this was a lie about an INAPPROPRIATE question. If someone asked about your sex life, and you think the truth would be embarrassing, you'd also lie.
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As a young gay man (26) who grew up in South Carolina, I know what it's like to be in a situation where it's NOT ok to be gay. Because of this I did not come out until I was 22, and I still had battles to face. This issue is about Sam lieing - we shouldn't confuse the issue with his sexuality or what he dealth with as a youth. He is an adult and he should've acted like one. The fact that he didn't handle this situation with class or maturity only confirms the choice I made in not voting for him.
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How does a recall election help provide Mayor Sam Adams with sufficient more political capital and credibility? The recall election is counter-productive for getting Portland's business done. If Jason Wurster's concern is government effectiveness, then he shouldn't be running the recall.
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We are talking about an adult who persued a 17 year-old child. Gay or straight, would we not consider that the mayor be of a character that would atleast past what might be considered as fundemental as "would you trust him with your child?'
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A 45 year old person having a romantic relation, sexual or not, with a 17 year old or 18 year old is inappropriate. I find Byron's comments dismissive of those people who find offense with people who conspire to mislead voters to vote for them. I voted for him and support him, but this is not about his sexuality. It's about his integrity.
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And I reiterate...if Mr. Adams were a Republican, Portlanders would be in the streets drubbing him out of office. This is actually just another form of homophobia--we (as queers and democrats) are afraid to go against one of our own because we don't want to divide "the movement". This issue has made me a bit embarrassed for our city and our movement.
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You hide a Jew in your attic from the Nazis and you lie about it: It's fine. It's okay. It's ethical.
You lie about a question that is irrelevant, un-modern and prudish: It's also fine, okay and ethical.
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Yes Scott, there are indeed good, noble reasons to lie. Lying for personal gain is not one of those good and noble reasons.
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NewsToYou,
And if the personal gain is to save your own life? I'd assume you'd say: yes, the lie would be okay.
But not your career? Your career, in the context of a sexually repressed culture.
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It is in fact not his life he was lying to save, it was his political cache. It's a bit tough to be taken seriously as a supporter of education for instance when you are having sex with a student.
If I were to show the same poor judgement that Mr. Adams repeatedly demonstrated I would surely lose my job and deservedly so. It is JUST HIS JOB that we are talking about really. A very public and elevated job for which he is now shown to be sorely unfit to have...IMO.
And sexually repressed culture...yes...that doesn't make what he did or his lying okay and that you seem suggest this is so is disturbing. Beau was a kid. Period. Was he sexually persuing Mr. Adams? Possibly. Again, if a 10 year old wanted to have sex with you, would you say yes? And would that be okay? There are limits because children, ESPECIALLY GAY CHILDREN, are vulnerable. And no matter how sexualized Beau was (or perhaps because of how sexualized Beau was) he still deserved protection from a MUCH older man in power.
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Of course it makes his lying okay. What is wrong with the lie? That it was a lie in general?
Say you are gay, and you repeatedly lie to your parents because they are evangelicals, and they can't possibly accept who you are. So, in-order to not get kicked out on the streets you lie. Is that wrong, just because it was a lie? A lie has a context, and that context is incredibly important. A lie is not some-kind of metaphysical entity, its relevance is very much rooted in the context of which it was told.
Protection? From what? If Mr. Adams wasn't in power and Mr. Breedlove sought him out, would we say he needed protection then?
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I think that the "gay issue" is a red herring.
The main issue here I beleive, is judgement. Sam made a TERRIBLE judgement as a 42 year old man to engage in a sexual relationship with an 18year old. If the this were a straight relationship, the judgement would be equally bad. A 42 year old man and an 18 year old girl or a 42 year old woman and an 18 year old boy would be just as bad judgement and should raise the exact same issues.
The question really should be: Will he make future bad judgements in his professional life as he has in his past personal life?
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I, as a gay man, do not see this as being about anyone's sexuality. It's about being asked a question that should never be asked. When Bob Ball raised this issue, he knew he was bringing a private matter up as a public issue. Sam's sex life is HIS sex life, not ours. It is private. There is no good answer to a question that has no place in a public discussion. the question begs a lie as an answer. Bob crossed the line. People lie about their sex lives. That's just the way human's respond when something extremely private is raised in a public forum.
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I voted for Sam Adams and continue to support him. He has been an excellent Mayor and has great ideas. He lied. He apologized; I accepted his apology! Let's move on in making Portland the greatest (albeit weird) city in the nation.
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I voted for Sam Adams and totally believe in equal rights for people of different sexual orientations. But the defense being put out to for Mayor Adams, that gay individuals have as a group been forced to learn to lie at an early age, and that criticism of their actions can be dismissed as bigoted attacks, are the most potent ammunition I have ever heard AGAINST gay individuals. Can we imagine similar arguments being used to defend some action by an African American politician? It would rightly be decried as demeaning and counterproductive for equal rights.
I think it's pretty easy in this case to isolate whether the reaction is homo-phobic. Had our mayor pursued a sexual relationship with a 17 year old girl intern and then consummated it within days of her 18 birthday, and lied about it all the way down the line, he would be gone by now.
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I voted for Sam Adams but I support the recall attempt. It is not only that he showed questionable judgment when he had a sexual relationship with a minor and then lied about it, but he then ruthlessly went after anyone who attempted to reveal the issue by calling them homophobic. I find the latter behavior most appalling and indefensible.
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Perhaps I'm missing something, but the problem is not primarily about sex, lying, or criminality. It really comes down to judgement.
Commissioner Adams engaged in behavior with someone who he recognized could be misinterpreted, twisted, used for political purposes. It might have even been criminal, if it occurred before Mr. Breedlove was of age legally. Mr. Adams clearly recognized some danger, and reacted very aggressively to another gay candidate's comments,
Among Mr. Adams' campaign positions was he was a canny politician, who understood how things worked, and could get things done. Se have witnessed an endless string of politicians getting their tails caught in the ringer over a wide variety of transgressions, including but not limited to illicit sexual situations, since 1971. The notion he couldn't foresee this becoming, at the least. the huge distraction from his agenda, either suggest he believed he could get away with lying (please review Pres. Clinton or Nixon's success with that), or that he is not the wily politician he implied he was.
He was not a victim in this matter. I do not dispute as a young gay man, he had to protect himself. But his protection in this matter would have been to repel Mr. Breedlove's advances (if that is what happpened), or to reject his own inclinations. He was involved with another man who was clearly of age, and no one is suggesting he had to lie about that. Good judgement would have been to never put himself and his candidacy at risk for what was essentially a fling.
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I agree many liberals would be going after Mr. Adams if he was a Republican, but that wouldn't be okay either. So why don't we get it right now? Seems pretty straightforward. Or should we get it wrong now, because that is how we would treat a hypothetical Republican in the future---there is no sense in this line of thinking.
Not to mention that many Republicans run on a moral (sexual) platform---so that case might be different.
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I am tired of hearing about someone elses sex life. just because Bo Breedlove was 17 was he not out on his own therefore an emancipated minor. sure the mayor should have said my sex life is private and not relavent to running the cities government. if people would mind their own business a lot of this would not matter. if the young man or his parents would have preffered charges then it would have been public business. but this relationship seems to be consentual therefore none of my business or anyone elses. get a life and let the mayor be the mayor. lets see what he can do in office not his bedroom.
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Test.
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Sam Adams:
-has lost his credibility and public trust (has admitted he lied to the public)
-has poor judgment (has also admitted this)
-cannot manage his own finances (foreclosure fiasco demonstrates his managerial incompetence)
-is a public laughing stock (after he hit a vehicle at Jantzen Beach, Adams stepped out of his vehicle; a passersby, not knowing he was mayor yelled to Adams: "hey dude, your fly is wide open!"
Furthermore, I did not realize until listening to this show that Adams was also intimidating others not to run against him in the mayoral race. This smacks of gangsterism.
I hope the recall comes soon.
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Comments are now closed.
Consensual sexual activity should never be a crime. Sam lied, not to cover-up a wrong doing... but to discourage the blood hungry portion of our national psyche from spending energy on a non-issue. He was protecting us from ourselves.
If people got this worked-up over actual injustice, it would be a different world.