Lawsuit alleges Seattle mayor sexually abused drug-addicted teen in 80s

A 46-year-old Kent man is suing the Seattle mayor claiming that while he was a homeless teen addicted to crack-cocaine, Ed Murray sexually abused him on numerous occasions in the 1980s.

According to a civil lawsuit filed Thursday in King County Superior Court, the plaintiff – who goes by D.H. in the lawsuit – alleges he met Murray on a bus in 1986. Murray allegedly propositioned D.H. for private visits to a Capitol Hill apartment and would pay $10 to $20 for sexual acts that continued for an extended period of time, the lawsuit claims.

Follow this link to read the complaint against Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, sent to KIRO 7 by the plaintiff’s attorney.

The eight-page lawsuit against Murray contains allegations that D.H. – who was then 15 years old and legally unable to consent – observed another under-age boy at the apartment “on at least one occasion.

Murray, 61, acknowledged the allegations in a statement to KIRO 7 News after abruptly canceling a news conference about police reform. A spokesman for the mayor sent the following statement.

"These false accusations are intended to damage a prominent elected official who has been a defender of vulnerable populations for decades. It is not a coincidence that this shakedown effort comes within weeks of the campaign filing deadline. These unsubstantiated assertions, dating back three decades, are categorically false. Mayor Murray has never engaged in an inappropriate relationship with any minor. The two older accusations were promoted by extreme right-wing antigay activists in the midst of the marriage equality campaign, and were thoroughly investigated and dismissed by both law enforcement authorities and the media. Mayor Murray will vigorously fight these allegations in court."

A private attorney for Murray told reporters at a news conference that mayor is going to continue doing his job for the City of Seattle.

Attorneys for D.H. wrote in the complaint that speculation would lead people to believe their client's actions are politically motivated. They claim that is "not exactly true," and that D.H. "believes that the public has a right to full information when a trusted official exploits a child," according to the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, D.H. claims he experienced moments of reflection and awareness after his father’s death and subsequent counseling, which prompted the filing of the lawsuit.

D.H. admits in the complaint that he was convicted on various charges related to drug use and prostitution.

Around the time of D.H.'s allegations, Murray was managing the 1988 campaign of Senator Cal Anderson.

Seattle Times reporters Lewis Kamb and Jim Brunner note that two other men accused Murray of sexual abuse allegations more than a decade ago.

Those two men, Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson, said they knew Murray when they were teens in a Portland center for troubled children.

According to The Seattle Times, they also accuse Murray of abusing them in the 1980s. Read their full story here.

Cox Media Group