Mayor James West
does not oppose fast review of recall effort

Lawyers for Spokane, Wash., mayor James West say they do not oppose a quick review by the state supreme court about whether a recall effort can be fast-tracked in time for the November election. But West--who is embroiled in a scandal that includes allegations he offered jobs for sex--wants enough time to present briefs and oral arguments, attorneys William Etter and Carl Oreskovich said Monday in a motion to the court. "Even if the supreme court were to issue a decision this summer, it is highly unlikely that 12,600 signatures could be gathered, canvassed, and verified in time for the general election on November 8, 2005," the motion said. There was no immediate comment from Shannon Sullivan, the Spokane woman who initiated the recall effort. After West appealed a superior court judge's late June decision that allowed the recall election to go forward, Sullivan asked the supreme court for an accelerated review to prevent the effort from rolling into next year. The supreme court, which is adjourned for the summer, plans a special meeting Thursday to consider the request for expedited review. West, a former Republican leader of the state senate, is also the subject of an FBI public corruption inquiry after The Spokesman-Review published allegations that he had used his e-mail to offer an internship to someone he thought was a teenager in a gay chat room. The newspaper also published allegations that West sexually harassed another young man who had been appointed to the city's human rights commission and that he sexually molested two boys in the 1970s. West has denied molesting boys but acknowledged having relations with adult males. He denied impropriety in the city's intern program. West has not been charged with any crime. In the motion West's attorneys say there is no reason for the recall to be rushed onto the ballot. Sullivan contended in her motion that failure to hold the election this year would cause public relations and financial hardships for Spokane. "There is no emergency facing the city, nor is there a crisis, financial or otherwise, at city hall," West's lawyers wrote. "Mayor West continues to attend to his duties, and the city continues to function effectively." West's lawyers say important issues are raised by the recall, including whether a public official can be recalled for private acts allegedly committed during his or her term in office. Sullivan contended that West used his public office to improperly "solicit internships for young men for his own personal uses." (AP)