Less than one month before a New York Times story on Harvey Weinstein opened up the floodgates to the #MeToo movement, Democratic Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned in mid-September amid disturbing allegations he sexually abused teenagers decades ago.
Over the course of this year, five men have stepped forward to say Ed Murray abused them as teenagers in the 1970s and 1980s, including his own cousin who claims the former mayor molested him repeatedly as a 13-year old. According to public records unearthed by the Seattle Times, Oregon Child Protective Services concluded after an investigation in 1984 that Ed Murray sexually abused his foster son, prompting state officials to determine he should “under no circumstances” be certified again as a foster parent.
“While the allegations against me are not true,” Ed Murray maintained in his resignation announcement, “it is important that my personal issues do not affect the ability of our city government to conduct the public’s business.”
With almost three months’ distance separating them from his departure, Democrats in Seattle are starting to publicly question their initial response to the allegations leveled against Ed Murray. But one powerful Washington Democrat remains silent.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., one of Congress’ most outspoken members on the scourge of sexual assault, has yet to speak out publicly against the former mayor. As was reported in September, the senator, who is not related to the former mayor, contributed the maximum allowed $700 to his 2013 campaign for mayor. In 2010 and 2015, she accepted two $500 donations from him as well.
The senator recently referred to allegations of groping made against her upper chamber colleague Al Franken, D-Minn., as “unacceptable behavior and extremely disappointing.”
“I support an ethics committee investigation into these accusations,” she tweeted, “and I hope this latest example of the deep problems on this front spurs continued action to address it.”
Days before Ed Murray’s resignation, Patty Murray slammed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ new approach to campus sexual assault investigations, stating, “Campus sexual assault is a national crisis. [Betsy DeVos] should be doing more, not less, to support survivors.” This fall alone, Patty Murray has repeatedly advocated on behalf of the Obama administration’s controversial, now-rescinded guidelines for campus Title IX investigations, believed by observers across party lines to have undermined due process.
The senator’s office has not responded to multiple inquiries from the Washington Examiner on whether she has a statement on former Mayor Murray or plans to return his campaign contributions. In fact, Patty Murray does appear to have made any public comments on the allegations against him at all.
From an outspoken advocate of sexual assault victims, and someone who twice financially supported the former mayor — previously one of her state’s most powerful Democratic politicians — Patty Murray’s silence on the serious allegations against him is strange at best. At worst, that silence jeopardizes her credibility on the issue going forward.
