Mayor Ed Murray: "I Am Not Going to Resign"

Mayor Ed Murray says he's staying in office through the end of his term in December. CITY OF SEATTLE / THE STRANGER

Mayor Ed Murray has responded to today's calls—including from one city council member—that he resign from office in light of new revelations related to allegations that he sexually abused teenagers in the 1980s. His message: "I'm not resigning."

Documents published by the Seattle Times on Sunday show that a child welfare investigator determined in 1984 that Murray had sexually abused his foster son. The records—the latest news related to allegations the Times first reported in April—were previously thought to be destroyed. In total, four men have accused Murray of abusing them when they were teens and Murray was in his 30s. One of those men filed a lawsuit against Murray this spring but later dropped it. Two others first made their allegations about a decade ago. One of those two men, Jeff Simpson, was Murray's foster son and is the subject of the investigation reported by the Times. Murray denies the allegations.

This morning, Council Member Lorena González called on Murray to "consider stepping down" and said the council should consider taking action if he was still in office by next Monday.

But several of her council colleagues expressed skepticism of pursuing the mayor's removal today.

"We do not need the sort of abrupt and destabilizing transition that a resignation would create, likely bringing the city’s business to a grinding halt," Murray said in a statement today. "Council action against me would similarly prevent the city’s business from continuing, only so I can again show these allegations from 30 years remain false." Read the full statement below: