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• Sam Adams is the mayor of Portland, Oregon. Adams, who is gay, won the seat in a landslide in May of 2008, making Portland the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor.

  On January 19, 2009, Adams admitted that he had a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old intern in 2005. He had denied rumors about the relationship during the 2007-08 election. Since Adam's admittance, Beau Breedlove, the now 21-year-old man Adam's had the relationship with, has also disclosed details about a number of inappropriate encounters the two had when Breedlove was 17.Fox News: Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship With Teen (January 20, 2009) USA Today: Portland mayor admits lying about sex with teen (January 20, 2009) Oregon Live: Mayor to respond to reports of sexual relationship with teen (January 20, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: September 3, 1963
  2. Birthplace: Whitehall, Montana
  3. Openly gayCommissioner Sam: Sam Adams
  4. Education: University of OregonCommissioner Sam: Sam Adams
  5. First political job: Intern for Congressman Peter DeFazioCommissioner Sam: Sam Adams
  6. Chief of Staff for Mayor Vera KatzCommissioner Sam: Sam Adams
  7. Served as Portland City CommissionerCommissioner Sam: Sam Adams
  8. Met intern Beau Breedlove in April 2005
  9. Breedlove turned 18 in June 2005Fox News: Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship With Teen (January 20, 2009)
  10. Adams' relationship with Breedlove started shortly after Breedlove's 18th birthdayFox News: Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship With Teen (January 20, 2009)
  11. Adams was a city councilman at the time of the relationshipFox News: Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship With Teen (January 20, 2009)

• Sex Scandal

  Sam Adams was a 42-year-old openly gay Portland city councilman in 2005 when he met 17-year-old congressional aide Beau Breedlove; they began a sexual relationship after Breedlove turned 18 in June of 2005. During the mayoral campaign of 2007-08, Adams repeatedly denied rumors about the relationship, saying the reports were a nasty smear. He convinced Breedlove to lie about the relationship as well.USA Today: Portland mayor admits lying about sex with teen (January 20, 2009)

  On January 19, 2009, Adams interrupted a trip to the presidential inauguration to release a statement admitting to the relationship.USA Today: Portland mayor admits lying about sex with teen (January 20, 2009) He made the statement shortly after the Willamette Week newspaper broke the story.Editor and Publisher: Portland Mayor Admits Affair With Teen After 'Willamette Week' Report (January 19, 2009)

• Quotes

  "I will not dignify the substance of this smear by repeating it—if you read the accounts you will see there is no foundation to it. The reason is simple: it is untrue."—Sam Adams in 2008Editor and Publisher: Portland Mayor Admits Affair With Teen After 'Willamette Week' Report (January 19, 2009)

  "I lied at the time because I was afraid that people would believe untrue rumors, being circulated by an undeclared mayoral opponent, that I had broken a law involving sexual relations with a minor. But this is not a good excuse."—Adams in January of '09USA Today: Portland mayor admits lying about sex with teen (January 20, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Portland OR | Oregon | Troy King Sex Scandal | Richard Curtis | Eliot Spitzer | Bob Allen | Larry Craig Arrest | Beau Breedlove | Dennis Elwell

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