LOCAL NEWS
Seattle Mayor has blunt response to latest abuse accusations
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray didn’t sugarcoat his response when confronted about the latest abuse accusations made against him.
RELATED: Fourth person accuses Mayor Ed Murray of sex abuse
When asked if he knew of Maurice Jones, Murray put it bluntly:
“Never heard of him … never heard of him.”
When he was asked if he has had sex with Jones:
“No. Never have.
“Either you’re looking at a serial pedophile or this is a big political take down.”
Jones alleges that he was introduced to Murray by Delvonn Heckard, the man who said he was abused by the mayor when he was a teenager. Jones, like Heckard, alleged he went to Murray’s apartment in Capitol Hill in the past.
Murray’s spokesperson Jeff Reading vehemently denied the most recent claim as false with the following statement:
“As we’ve seen repeatedly from opposing counsel, this filing fits firmly into the category of a sensational media stunt. Mayor Murray does not know this person. This is an ambush copycat false accusation that is being made without any details, evidence, timeline or anything at all to substantiate its veracity. Mayor Murray has never had inappropriate relations with any minor, and Mayor Murray has never paid for sex.”
Murray has held onto the belief that the sex abuse allegations made against him are politically motivated. In April he wrote an op-ed for The Stranger stating, “Not only does this evidence show that the accusers have fabricated their claims against me, but I believe it shows they have coordinated with each other.”
He’s also called out the Faith & Freedom Network:
“Since 2008, the virulently bigoted Faith & Freedom Network has actively opposed my work to champion LGBTQ rights, and has openly resented my successful effort to pass the civil rights bill in 2008 and marriage equality in 2012.”
