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Seattle Mayor Ed Murray: I am not going to resign

In this April 7, 2017, file photo, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray reads a statement to media members in Seattle after a lawsuit was filed that accused Murray of sexually molesting a teenage high-school dropout in the 1980s. The Seattle Times reported on Thursday, July 27, 2017, that Delvonn Heckard filed a $1 million to $3 million claim Wednesday. He said the mayor used his position to falsely accuse Heckard of participating in an “anti-gay right wing conspiracy” against the mayor. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says he is not resigning following claims by four men that he sexually abused them as teenagers.

Murray made the announcement Monday, saying his resignation would create a destabilizing transition that would likely bring city business to a halt.

In May, he said he wouldn’t seek re-election after the allegations surfaced but pledged to serve out his term through the end of this year. However, Murray, who denies the allegations, is facing increasing pressure to step down after it was reported Sunday by the Seattle Times that an Oregon child-welfare investigator concluded 30 years ago that he had sexually abused his foster son.

Murray’s former foster son is one of the men who publicly accused him of sexual abuse. Murray said the child-welfare investigator didn’t interview him at the time. He said the allegations were fully investigated and prosecutors never brought charges.