Seattle Mayor Ed Murray Resigns After He’s Accused of Abuse

Ed Murray (SounderBruce / Wikipedia)

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray will resign tomorrow, according to local media reports. It comes after allegations emerged that he sexually abused a younger cousin decades ago---the fifth person to do so.

“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, according to The Seattle Times.

Murray, a Democrat, said the resignation is effective immediately 5 p.m. Wednesday.

City Councilmember Bruce Harrell will be Seattle’s mayor in Murray’s absence.

Five people have publicly accused Murray of sexual abuse. On Tuesday, the Times reported that his 54-year-old cousin, Joseph Dyer, said that the mayor abused him at Dyer’s mother’s home in Medford, New York, in the 1970s.

“I have had enough. ... Something has got to be done,” Dyer said, according to Fox News.

Another one of Murray’s accusers, Lloyd Anderson, issued a statement: “I feel victory, but saddened that it required another victim to come forward for him to resign. I wonder how many other victims are out there.”

Murray claimed that Dyer’s accusation stemmed from a family dispute.

“To the people of this special city and to my dedicated staff, I am sorry for this painful situation,” Murray said, reported KIRO7.

“In the interest of an orderly transition of power, Council President Bruce Harrell will become Mayor upon my resignation, and will decide within the following five days whether he will fill out the remainder of my term. During this time Director of Operations Fred Podesta has been tasked with leading the transition,” he said.