New Reports Describe Chaos During Ed Murray's Final Days As Mayor

SEATTLE, WA - Two new reports published Wednesday reveal the chaotic last few months of the Ed Murray administration. The stories, published by the Seattle Times and The Stranger, detail the decline in morale of Murray staff, and battles with City Council members to stay on the mayor's side.

Read together, the reports depict Murray as an intense, strong-arm politician who was long aware that allegations of sex abuse could hurt his political career.

In April, the Seattle Times published the first in a series of stories about men accusing Murray of sex abuse. A breaking point came in September when Murray's cousin came forward in the Times to accuse Murray of abuse.

Murray resigned the day that story was published. That led to former councilman Tim Burgess taking over as mayor days later. Burgess hired Stranger editor Eli Sanders as a speech writer, on the condition that Sanders could write a story about his experiences inside City Hall.

Read the stories here:

The Stranger: Staffing the Accused: Inside the Six-Month-Long Downfall of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray

Seattle Times: Texts and emails reveal behind-the-scenes battles as Ed Murray tried to save his career

Caption: Ed Murray shakes hands with a supporter as he departs after announcing to media and supporters that he is dropping his re-election bid for a second term Tuesday, May 9, 2017, in Seattle. Last month a man filed a lawsuit claiming he was sexually abused by Murray in the 1980s when he was a teenager. Three more made similar allegations, and all were vehemently denied by Murray.

Photo by Elaine Thompson/Associated Press