Undercover Reporting

"West Tied to Sex Abuse in '70s, Using Office to Lure Young Men" - Bill Morlin - Spokesman Review

Allegations shadow politician throughout his career

2005-05-05

"For a quarter century, the man who is now Spokane's mayor has used positions of public trust – as a sheriff's deputy, Boy Scout leader and powerful politician – to develop sexual relationships with boys and young men.One man, Robert J. Galliher, claims in a court deposition that Jim West molested him in the mid-1970s when he was a boy and West was a Spokane County sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader. . ."

"West's Public Policy Conflicts with Private Life" - Karen Dorn Steele - Spokesman Review

2005-05-05

". . .Because of his clout as the former Senate majority leader and his reputation for attacking his enemies, no one has publicly confronted West about any discrepancy between his private sexual behavior and his political stances, people in politics and in Spokane’s gay community have said.While members of Spokane’s gay community said it’s widely rumored that West is a closeted gay man, they also said his sexual orientation is only an issue when his behavior intrudes on the legislative process and public policy. . ."

"Online Relationships" - Bill Morlin - Spokesman Review

2005-05-05

". . .The young man’s story raised questions for the newspaper. If West was online at Gay.com, was it the public’s right to know? Would it be the public’s business if West was using city computers to chat during his working hours as mayor? What if he was using the Internet to meet people who weren’t 18, the legal age of consent? Was he abusing his public office in any other way?The questions became a critical part of the ongoing investigation into the sex abuse allegations against West. . ."

"A Spokesman-Review Investigative Report: Interview with Jim West" - Transcript - Spokesman Review

2005-05-04

"The following is a transcript of an interview between Mayor Jim West and Spokesman-Review reporters Bill Morlin and Karen Dorn Steele, which took place at The Spokesman-Review building the evening of May 4, 2005. Spokesman-Review photojournalist Brian Plonka was also present during the interview."