Originally published January 6 2006
Spokane recalls mayor after his involvement in sex scandal
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Spokane citizens have voted to recall Mayor James E. West, who will remain in office until December 16 and who has announced plans to sue the Spokesman Review, the city's newspaper, for its contribution to the allegations of political abuse leveled against him.
Mayor James E. West said today he is proud of his work in two years as leader of Spokane, and plans to look for a job after voters recalled him from office over a sex scandal.
West, 54, also said he is at peace after nearly two-thirds of voters called for his ouster in mail-in votes that were counted and released Tuesday.
"I loved every minute of being mayor of Spokane," West said at a news conference, where he ticked off a list of his accomplishments.
He said he intends to stay in Spokane and look for a job.
West also repeated that he intended to sue The Spokesman-Review, the city's only daily newspaper, whose reporting was the basis for allegations that he abused his political office by allegedly offering City Hall jobs and perks to young men he met in a gay Internet chat room.
West plans to stay at City Hall to take care of unfinished business until Dec. 16, the day the special recall election results are certified and he must leave office.
He's the first Spokane elected chief executive to be ousted before his term expired.
City Council President Dennis Hession, a lawyer first elected to the seven-member council in 2002, will become mayor pro tempore of this city of 200,000 until the council appoints a replacement to finish the remaining two years of West's term.
West was elected mayor --- which he described as his "dream job" --- in 2003 after serving more than two decades as a state legislator.
The recall petition contended West used his office for personal benefit by offering a city internship to someone he thought was an 18-year-old man he'd met in a gay online chat room.
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