The City of Seattle has settled a lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Simpson against former mayor Ed Murray. The city will pay Simpson $75,000 as part of the settlement.
Simpson was one of Murray's foster sons in the 1980s and claims Murray sexually abused him. The lawsuit said the City of Seattle failed to investigate claims of sexual abuse made by Simpson and three other men.
Murray resigned as mayor in September 2017 after a fifth man accused him of sexual abuse, but has maintained his innocence.
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said in a statement Monday, “This negotiated agreement allowed us to avoid the uncertainty and expense of trial, which helps limit further financial exposure of the taxpayer. I wish Mr. Simpson nothing but the best, and I hope this settlement allows him to move forward.”
Simpson's legal counsel said that while Monday's settlement resolves the lawsuit filed against Murray and the City of Seattle, more action could be taken in Oregon, where Murray fostered Jeffrey Simpson.
The law groups said Monday, "Our case solely addressed defamation by Murray and the City of Seattle for the time period that Murray was in office as the mayor. To us, this was an important issue as we felt strongly about the improper and abusive way that Murray defended himself by attacking Jeff and Jeff's motives for going public with his allegations."
