Ed Murray Says 'I Am Not Going To Resign' In Wake Of New Sex Abuse Reports

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said Monday that he will not resign in light of new reports about his alleged sexual abuse of a minor. The announcement comes hours after Seattle Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez advised him to resign, and one day after the Seattle Times reported that an Oregon child-welfare investigator found that Murray probably molested his teenage foster son in 1984.

Here's the key part of Murray's statement:

“But I also know that the allegations about events more than 30 years ago have created a cloud of uncertainty in the public mind. That is why in May I announced that I would not seek reelection to the job that I love, serving as mayor of Seattle. As I said at the time, it was a very difficult and painful decision for me, but upon reflection I felt that putting the best interests of the city first meant that I had to announce that I would step aside and allow someone else to take leadership of City government at the end of my term.

“Guiding my decisions is my continued focus on what is in the best interest of the city. I know that today a member of the Council has issued a statement calling on me to resign, and warning of action against me if I do not. I continue to believe such a course of action would not be in the city’s best interest. That is why I am not going to resign, and intend to complete the few remaining months of my term as mayor.

Murray goes on to say that he's fulfilling his duties as mayor, citing the new navigation center opened last week and a Monday executive order on police body cameras. His resignation, Murray says, would bring Seattle to "a grinding halt."

“Seattle needs steady, focused leadership over the next several months. We have a lot of work to do. Establishing an effective transition between administrations takes months of careful planning and preparation – work that I and my team have already begun. We do not need the sort of abrupt and destabilizing transition that a resignation would create, likely bringing the City’s business to a grinding halt," Murray says in the statement.

In addition to Gonzalez, four of the top six candidates running for mayor - Mike McGinn, Nikkita Oliver, Jessyn Farrell, and Cary Moon - have called for Murray to resign. Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan, who has been endorsed by Murray, has not gone so far.

Image via City of Seattle