Mayor Sam Adams

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)

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)

"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)