The man who filed a lawsuit against Mayor Ed Murray alleging sexual abuse dropped the case, promising to re-file after undergoing counseling, according to reporting by The Seattle Times.
Lincoln Beauregard said that his client, Delvonn Heckard, dropped the suit because he wanted to complete drug rehabilitation and he felt that his case would have a better chance after Murray left office.
At a press conference, Murray said he believed he was vindicated by the withdrawal.
The case shifted the narrative around Seattle’s mayoral race. Murray was expected to have an easy win but instead announced he would not run, opening the field to 21 candidates.
Murray dropped out because of bad polling numbers but is considering a write-in candidacy now that the filing period for the race has closed, according to Crosscut.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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