Recall presses ahead

Campaign thinks lack of criminal charges against the mayor could help its effort

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Jun 25, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (25 Reader comments)

ADAMS

Jasun Wurster, spokesman for the recall campaign against Mayor Sam Adams, has a message for those who think the mayor is in the clear following release of an attorney general’s investigation this week: Not so fast.

Wurster’s group plans to push ahead with the recall, despite an Oregon Department of Justice report issued Monday morning that concluded it could not file criminal charges against Adams because of his sexual relationship with a teenager and attempts to cover it up.

Shortly after the document was released, Adams said it cleared him of any wrongdoing. “This is the best I could hope for,” he said.

Even some of those who previously called for Adams to resign think the controversy is finished. They include the Rev. Chuck Currie, who said Portlanders can express their displeasure with Adams if he runs for re-election.

“The recall effort should now fold,” said Currie, a longtime social service advocate. “Voters can impose their final verdict on this issue in 2012 if Mayor Adams seeks re-election.”

Wurster sees things differently. He said the campaign will file its recall petitions as planned on July 7. According to Wurster, the justice department report could actually help the recall campaign.

“People now know that Adams is not going to be forced out of office by a criminal prosecution,” Wurster said. “They know the only way to get him out of office is to recall him.”

Wurster has always insisted the issue was not whether Adams committed any crimes. He believes Adams should be recalled because he lied to the voters about his relationship with former legislative intern Beau Breedlove to win the mayors’ race last year.

According to the attorney general’s investigation, Adams also convinced Breedlove, in the runup to the election, to lie about the relationship. By covering up the truth, Wurster said, Adams defused a potential issue that could have prompted other candidates to enter the race.

“Adams subverted the political process and needs to be held accountable,” he said.

Portland pollster Tim Hibbitts said Wurster might be right — the lack of a criminal prosecution could help motivate recall supporters to collect signatures from Portland voters necessary to place Adams’ fate on the ballot this fall.

“The people who are against Adams are not going to change their minds because he was not charged with a crime,” he said.

At the same time, Hibbitts said that if Adams was forced onto a recall ballot, the report’s conclusions might help him survive the election.

“I’d say there’s about 40 percent of the voters ready to recall Adams right now and 40 percent that want him to stay,” Hibbitts said. “Since he’s not being charged with any crimes, the swing voters are likely to decide he should stay in office.”

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