Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigns over child sex-abuse allegations
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned hours after the Seattle Times reported that Josef Dyer, his younger cousin, has accused him of abuse. Dyer is the fifth person to accuse Murray of sexual abuse. The allegations date back to the 1970s. Murray, who is in a gay marriage, has denied the allegations, claiming that they aim to tarnish his record as a gay-rights champion.
Murray says 'allegations are not true'
"While the allegations against me are not true, it is important that my personal issues do not affect the ability of our City government to conduct the public's business," Murray said in a statement about his resignation. Murray, 62, said he's "proud of all that I have accomplished" and that it's "best for the city if I step aside" because of the reported allegations.
What are the allegations against Murray?
In May, a man named Delvonn Heckard sued Murray for allegedly repeatedly raping him 30 years ago, when he was aged 15. Murray dismissed the lawsuit as being politically motivated and said he'd never heard his accuser's name before the lawsuit. Heckard later withdrew the case in June. Since then, four more people came forward publicly alleging abuse by Murray when they were teens.
Younger cousin claims Murray raped him
Dyer, 54, said that when he was 13 in the mid-1970s, his elder cousin Murray forced him to have sex in his mother's home in New York.
