Rantz: Is Mayor Murray lawsuit politically motivated?

Seattle Mayor Murray will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. on Friday. It’s not clear yet the subject of the statement. Listen here.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s lawyer suggests the rape lawsuit against his client is politically motivated. Maybe it is, though they haven’t really offered any circumstantial evidence.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray responds to rape allegations

“The allegations are false,” said Bob Sulkin, a private attorney representing Mayor Murray. “He has not engaged in any inappropriate conduct with a minor. And I don’t think it is a coincidence that these allegations have occurred in the midst of a mayoral campaign. Think about it, for 30 years nothing is said. And all of a sudden an accuser comes — who apparently, as reported, has a long criminal record — and makes these allegations.”

Indeed, the mayor is in the midst of a mayoral campaign, but it’s one where he was the presumed winner before the filing deadline has even passed. He’s raised the most money, he has the highest poll numbers, and most people can’t name a single one of his opponents (for the record, Nikkita Oliver is one; another is a guy who yells at me on Twitter). If this were politically motivated, why not accuse Murray when he was running for mayor the first time around or while he gained power in Olympia?

However, simply pushing aside the claims this is politically motivated is as unwise as assuming it is. It’s worth noting that we have no idea who the accuser is. He’s simply known as D.H. in the filing. Who is he? It’s hard to question the veracity or motives of the accuser when his identity is being withheld. And, while this may not be politically motivated, it completely reshapes the mayoral race. It’s now wide-open and we’ve already heard reports of a viable potential candidate announcing her run.

Beyond that, some language in the lawsuit is suspicious and casual. It raised some red flags as I read it. In describing the sex acts that allegedly took place, the lawsuit alleges “anal of course.” What do you mean “of course?” Further, in a letter seeking deposition of the mayor, The Stranger reports the accuser’s lawyer wrote, “Greetings, I am looking forward to working with you on the Mayor Ed Murray molestation lawsuit” and that “Our team looks forward to a spirited debate on the merits.” This is weirdly cheerful, given the allegations of their client.

Does any of this prove Murray’s contention? No. It’s true that when you’re a public figure you face the possibility of people trying to destroy your career or embarrass you; the problem is, the latest examples of that seem to indicate the politician is in the wrong. Remember Anthony Weiner, anyone? Still, there’s a lot more information to be learned and I’ll simply re-post a tweet I sent yesterday that still seems relevant today: Let’s all slow down — on both sides. Let’s get more information and watch this progress before we reject or accept either side’s claims. But we can admit this: it sure looks bad and may bring down a mayor.

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