FBI Opens Inquiry Into Spokane Mayor

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By By KOMO Staff & News Services

Summary

The FBI has opened an inquiry into a possible 'public corruption' case involving accusations that Mayor James West offered city jobs to men he met online.

Story Published: May 10, 2005 at 6:57 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:56 AM PDT

FBI Opens Inquiry Into Spokane Mayor
SPOKANE - The FBI has opened an inquiry into a possible "public corruption" case involving accusations that Mayor James West offered city jobs to young men he met online, a federal prosecutor confirmed Tuesday as West began a temporary leave.

The FBI involvement was confirmed by Thomas O. Rice, chief criminal prosecutor for the U.S. attorney's office here, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported in a copyright story posted late Tuesday on its Web site.

Agents were expected to interview Ryan Oelrich and another man, both 24, who said they were independently offered City Hall jobs after online chats with a man who turned out to be West, the newspaper reported.

"The FBI has opened what's called a 'preliminary inquiry' to determine whether a full-blown investigation should occur," Rice said.

"We can assure the public it's being looked at for possible violations of federal law," he told the S-R, declining to discuss further details.

Associated Press calls for comment placed late Tuesday to the Spokane FBI office and U.S. attorney's office were not immediately returned.

Spokane City Attorney Mike Connelly earlier launched an investigation of allegations that West offered internships in exchange for sex. Connelly is also investigating whether West's City Hall computer was used improperly.

Meanwhile, Shannon Sullivan of Spokane has filed paperwork to begin a recall of the mayor. If a Superior Court judge authorizes the recall in a hearing, she would have 180 days to gather at least 12,567 signatures to place it on the ballot.

Calls for West's resignation continued over the job offer allegations and old accusations of child molestation.

West, a 54-year-old former Republican state Senate leader and opponent of gay rights, last week denied the decades-old molestation allegations, but acknowledged he had visited a gay online chat room and had relations with adult men.

He announced Monday he would take a leave for several weeks to defend himself against the allegations raised by The Spokesman-Review in a series of articles that began last Thursday. He has not responded to calls for comment since that brief announcement to the City Council.

"I hope that you and the people will reserve judgment on me until the newspaper is done persecuting me and allow me to have the fair opportunity to respond to each of the allegations in due time," West, who took office in January 2004, told the council.

As part of its investigation into the mayor, the newspaper hired a computer forensics expert who posed as an 18-year-old male high school student in Internet chats with West on Gay.com. West offered the "teen" a City Hall internship, tickets to professional sporting events and other gifts, the newspaper reported.

Additional people have subsequently come forward with stories that West propositioned them.

Oelrich, who is openly gay, said he accepted West's appointment to the city's Human Rights Commission in April 2004 after meeting West online at Gay.com.

Oelrich told the newspaper in Tuesday's editions that he resigned from the commission in January after West "hounded me for months, telling me I was cute and asking me out on dates." Oelrich said he refused the mayor's advances, and told the newspaper he knows of "five or six other young gay men that Jim West has met online and offered City Hall jobs."

Oelrich told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he initially thought West was appointing him to the commission because of his background as director of the nonprofit Gay Youth Association. But it became apparent the mayor was more interested in asking him out, Oelrich said.

He also heard from another young man who had been offered an internship by West.

"I realized it was really the same thing: the mayor was interested in one thing. The only reason he got the position was he had a pretty face," Oelrich said. "I worried about this happening with other guys."

The Spokesman-Review has also reported allegations that West sexually abused two boys while he was a sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a claim West vehemently denied.

The statute of limitations has expired on those old allegations and no criminal investigations were under way in connection with them, local law enforcement agencies said.

State Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, who frequently clashed with West in the Legislature, has called for his resignation. So have Spokane City Council members Mary Verner and Cherie Rodgers.

The Spokesman-Review and The Seattle Times also have called for West to step down, as did the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, D.C. a national gay advocacy organization.

"If all or any of the allegations of sexual misconduct are true, then the mayor should resign immediately," said Patrick Guerriero, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay members of the GOP.