Adams, who is openly gay, has admitted that while campaigning for mayor, he lied about his relationship with Beau Breedlove, but he denies they were involved in a sexual relationship before Breedlove was 18.

Breedlove said he was 17 when he and Adams first kissed, but Attorney General John Kroger said in a report that Breedlove’s account of the relationship lacked credibility because of past inconsistent statements and a prior felony conviction, as well as evidence he sought financial gain from the scandal.

“At times, a responsible prosecutor may seek to charge an individual with a crime based solely on the uncorroborated testimony of a single witness,” Kroger wrote. “However, a responsible prosecutor will do so only when there are no serious questions about the credibility of the witness’s account.”

Two former attorneys for Breedlove said they did not know whether he currently has legal representation.

The sex scandal broke in January after Adams took office. The controversy divided Portland’s gay community – some said he should resign, others that he should stay.

“I made mistakes in my personal life that led to this investigation. As a result, the city I love was put through an ordeal,” Adams said in a statement. “I am gratified the investigation has been completed, and I want to reiterate that I am sorry.”

Sexual contact with Breedlove before he turned 18 would have been a misdemeanor.

At a news conference Monday, Kroger said his office was not making any judgment about Breedlove’s truthfulness or his “personal credibility.” Instead, he said, the report questioned “the credibility of his account” in terms of how it would hold up during a hearing.

Breedlove refused to answer certain questions under questioning by Kroger’s office, including how much money he’s made from publicity surrounding the scandal, according to the report. He also refused to provide certain witnesses, the report said.

The report also noted that Adams was slow in providing investigators access to certain phone memory cards and e-mail accounts.

Adams, 45, currently faces a recall effort on behalf of a group that claims he subverted the democratic process with deceptive campaigning and abused his power. The group claims the recall has nothing to do with Adams’ sexual orientation.

Jasun Wurster, one of the organizers of the recall effort, says it will continue despite Monday’s report.

“It’s about deliberately lying to get elected, orchestrating an elaborate cover up, which included lying to the press, and his abuse of power,” Wurster said.

Kroger also looked into whether Adams hired a reporter from the Portland Mercury for a position on his staff in an effort to cover up the relationship with Breedlove, but found no evidence to merit a criminal charge.

The report also considered whether Adams asked for campaign contributions under false pretenses but again found no evidence of a crime.

If Adams had exploited an innocent youth or abused his power in office to obtain sex, I would not be defending him. The affair with Beau Breedlove, however, was consensual and Breedlove told the Oregonian newspaper:

“I do not see any relationship that I ever had with Sam as me being taken advantage of. I do not feel like I was ever a victim.”

Given this reality, I am having a difficult time understanding exactly why this is a controversy. The hypocrisy, double standard and anti-gay undertones are unmistakable. If a 42-year-old male politician had hooked up with an 18-year-old Hooter’s girl, he would get high fives. If he’s gay, people with pitchforks want to hang him from a high tree. For the conquering straight male, the affair would be a sign of virility. For the gay man, it is the mark of vulgarity.

This all goes back to the despicable stereotype that evil homosexuals recruit children into the so-called “lifestyle.” People have to realize that sacrificing Adams won’t erase this insidious myth from the minds of ignorant people who choose to believe it.

As in most self-righteous inquisitions, the pious finger pointers say it is “not about the sex, it is because Adam’s lied” to the media about the tryst. This is the same disingenuous nonsense that Ken “Porn” Starr and the GOP used to rationalize their attempted coup of Bill Clinton.

In my view, Adams is the victim of an overzealous media asking questions about a relationship that was none of their business. There were only two legitimate questions that should ever have been asked of Adams:

Was Breedlove of legal age?

Did Adams supervise him at work?

We know the answer to the first question (barely legal), and Breedlove was an intern in the state capitol, which had nothing to do with the city council, where Adams had served as a commissioner.

So, why is this a story?

When asked about this affair during his campaign, Adams had every right to mislead reporters. What detractors call lying, was really just personal discretion. What next, are we going to pass sunshine laws that mandate public officials must sign sexual disclosure forms listing all sexual liaisons and post their names on the Internet? Because, that is essentially what people want when they insist Adams had an obligation to discuss his private life with the media.

Like starving vultures, the press is now sensationalizing the issue. For example, ABC News’ website published an Associated Press story headlined, “Gay Teen Sex Scandal Mayor Won’t Resign.” This is misleading and irresponsible journalism that makes Adams appear to be a letch who hangs around middle schools with lollipops.

To be fair, Adams did let down the GLBT community. When asked about the affair during his campaign, he should have either told the truth or said, “none of your business.” Instead, he accused his primary opponent of gay baiting and complained, “This is one of the worst smears you can make against a gay guy. It preys on the homophobic stereotype that gay men cannot be trusted with young people.”

Adams diminished the noble cause for equality when he hid behind it to conceal his relationship. He should have acted with more integrity and not made his personal saga about the larger GLBT community.

Still, Adams did apologize profusely and should be allowed to move on. Human beings are not perfect, especially politicians. Last week, hundreds of citizens rallied in front of City Hall in support of Adams, giving him the strength to fight on.

Finally, I’m not begrudging those who think that it is irresponsible and wrong for Adams to have had sex with someone half his age. Those who believe that Adams does not share their values, have every right to vote him out of office when he is up for reelection. But the notion that Adams should be recalled is nothing short of an ugly witch-hunt.

The political judgment of Sam Adams is certainly questionable. There is no question, however, that his actions do not warrant the harsh judgment of those who demand that he resign. One may not like the mayor’s personal choices, but this so-called “scandal” is nothing more than a fake crime scene in search of a real crime.

Adams is no superman, as many supporters thought he once was, but he is also no scoundrel. It is time people stop taking potshots at the mayor, and let him return to work so he can repair the potholes his constituents elected him to fix.

“Tomorrow, I go back (to) work as your mayor. I know I have let you down and made mistakes. I ask your forgiveness,” Mayor Sam Adams said in a statement. “I believe I have a lot to offer the city I love during this time of important challenges.”

Adams, who was just sworn in on Jan. 1, publicly apologized this past week for lying early in his campaign about the relationship with an 18-year-old man in 2005.

The scandal has resulted in an investigation by the Oregon attorney general and has divided the city and its gay and lesbian community. The police union and four Portland newspapers have called for his resignation, but Adams has found strong support to remain, including a Friday rally on his behalf at City Hall that drew more than 400 people.

In his statement, Adams said he would “work harder than I ever have in my life” to help see the city through the tough economic times.

Two of the leading business associations in Portland had taken a wait-and-see stance.

Steve Holwerda, Chairman of the Portland Business Alliance, said in a statement the board had differing views on whether Adams should resign but they agreed it was a critical time for the city and some of its major development projects.

“Whether or not he stays in office should be based on whether he can lead our city effectively and with the integrity that all our citizens deserve,” Holwerda said.

But the board of the Portland Area Business Association went further and said Adams should remain in office, but added, “pending the outcome of official investigation.”

The teenager, Beau Breedlove, was a legislative intern when he met the mayor at age 17. He and the mayor both say their sexual relationship started after his 18th birthday, in June 2005.

Breedlove, now 21, told The Oregonian on Saturday that the relationship was consensual.

“I do not see any relationship that I ever had with Sam as me being taken advantage of,” Breedlove told the newspaper. “I do not feel like I was ever a victim.”

When Adams confirmed the relationship this past week, he said it was inappropriate because of the age difference; Adams is now 45.

He also said he lied early in his mayoral campaign and asked Breedlove to lie as well because rumors at the time falsely suggested the relationship involved a minor.

Just three weeks after Sam Adams was sworn in, many gays are questioning whether he is the man they want as their trailblazer.

“Sam has been our guy forever, which makes this even harder,” said Marty Davis, publisher of the newspaper Just Out, which has called for his resignation. “It’s completely dividing and tearing our community right down the middle.”

Portland’s progressive reputation is based on its dedication to eco-friendly buildings, its large network of bike paths, an expanding mass transit system and the city’s welcoming attitude toward gays and lesbians, which was reflected in Adams’ easy victory in last year’s election.

Adams took office on Jan. 1, making Portland the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor. But the community’s image is taking a beating over the sex scandal.

It started earlier this week when the 45-year-old Adams admitted to an alternative newspaper, Willamette Week, that he lied during his election campaign when he denied having sex in 2005 with a teenage male who was a legislative intern.

The newspaper said it had evidence showing otherwise, although it never reported details. After being confronted about the relationship, Adams insisted he did not have sex with the young man until after he turned 18.

At a Tuesday news conference, Adams apologized for lying – and for asking the young man to lie – and left open the possibility that he could resign if doing so would be in the city’s best interests.

Since then, pressure has mounted on the Democrat to do just that.

Four newspapers have called for Adams to step down, including Just Out and the city’s major daily, The Oregonian. Willamette Week said Thursday that it has not taken a stand.

Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard, who defended Adams when the rumor first surfaced last year, said Thursday that a “large volume” of e-mail to his office was in favor of Adams’ resignation.

The Q Center, a Portland gay and lesbian community center that Adams helped found, on Thursday changed the name of an upcoming fundraiser from the “Mayor’s Winter Gala” to the “Winter Gala” to avoid attention to the controversy facing the mayor.

The sex scandal is stirring debate in Portland’s gay and lesbian community among those who believe Adams should be given a chance and others who insist he must resign.

Davis of Just Out said she is not as concerned about Adams’ relationship with the young man as she is about the lying. She said his actions have eroded the public’s trust in her publication.

Also hurting Adams are revelations that he hired a newspaper reporter who had earlier been looking into rumors that he had had sex with a minor. She now works for Adams as a planning and sustainability policy adviser.

Adams insists he did not hire Amy Ruiz to keep her from looking into his past. And Ruiz says she was hired because of her experience in communications, which, she added, makes up most of her job.

“The allegations or insinuations that my reporting had anything to do with my hiring” are untrue, she told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Ruiz said she made a round of phone calls about the story in May but did not turn up any evidence of Adams’ relationship with a young man named Beau Breedlove. Her editor decided against running a story.

Adams has gone into seclusion, and he did not return phone calls from the AP.

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger agreed to conduct an investigation into whether Adams committed a crime. City commissioners, the police chief and the local district attorney asked for the probe.

City Commissioner Nick Fish said the commissioners as a body are not taking a stand on the matter until the investigation is complete.

“This is clearly a distraction, but people need to know we are getting work done,” Fish said.

Another commissioner, Dan Saltzman, said Adams “deserves a shot at redemption.”

Oregon is no stranger to sex scandals involving public officials.

In 2004, the reputation of highly respected former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt was shattered by revelations in Willamette Week that he had sex with an underage girl in the 1970s, when he was Portland mayor.

In 2006, Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth was demoted over revelations that he had a sexual relationship with a police department clerk. The clerk released X-rated e-mails written by the chief.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams admitted this week that he lied to cover up his relationship with a teenage legislative intern because a potential mayoral candidate had spread rumors that Adams had sex with a minor.

Adams, who is 45, said the teen was 17 when they met in 2005, and that the relationship did not turn sexual until the boy turned 18. He said he lied because he was afraid voters wouldn’t believe that his young lover had turned 18 before they started having sex.

Adams became mayor on New Year’s Day, making Portland the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor.

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger agreed to an investigation after Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk and Portland police Chief Rosie Sizer asked Kroger to look into the affair.

Also on Wednesday, three Portland newspapers and the city police union called for Adams to resign.

Adams had said he would resign if staying was not in the city’s best interest.

The publisher and editorial board of Just Out, a newspaper serves the gay and lesbian community, said in a statement that “Adams has failed to show the principled character that this publication feels is a basic requirement for an elected official.”

“Right now one of the big things we in government need is credibility with the public,” Schrunk told The Oregonian, another newspaper calling for Adams to resign. The police chief said it would be inappropriate for her department to investigate the mayor.

City commissioner Nick Fish said the commissioners met Wednesday and joined the request for an investigation by the attorney general. They decided to withhold comment until that investigation was completed.

“This is clearly a distraction, but people need to know we are getting work done,” Fish said.

Unless Adams bows to pressure and resigns or there is evidence of a crime, he will remain in office for the first half of 2009 because state law bars any mayoral recall until after six months.

“I screwed up. I blew it. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Mayor Sam Adams said during a City Hall news conference scheduled after he cut short a trip to the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Adams was elected easily last year, making Portland the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor. He was sworn in Jan. 1.

Rumors of the relationship had surfaced when the then-city commissioner was getting ready to run for mayor in 2007, but he and the teen both denied it at the time.

In a statement he released Monday confirming the relationship, Adams said he lied then because the rumors claimed the teen was underage. He said the relationship did not begin until after the teen turned 18 in June 2005. That is the legal age of consent in Oregon.

At the time, the teen was a legislative intern whom Adams mentored on being gay and in public service. He is now 21 and has not made any public comments acknowledging any relationship with Adams. He did not return a request for comment Tuesday from The Associated Press.

In his City Hall remarks, Adams said their relationship was inappropriate because of their age gap; he is 45.

And he admitted he asked the teen initially to deny the relationship. “I am deeply sorry that I asked him to lie for me,” he said.

Adams stressed the issue is about a public official lying, not sexual orientation, and he would work to regain the public’s trust.

“I will be subject to greater scrutiny because of this, and that is appropriate,” he said.

“My reputation has been impacted. Friendships have been impacted, and that’s appropriate as well.”

Adams said he would cooperate in any investigation. He said he has no plan to resign, but left open the possibility: “If it were no longer in the city’s best interests that I stay, yes, I would resign.”

Commissioner Randy Leonard, who defended Adams when the rumor surfaced in 2007, has now called for an investigation. Leonard’s chief of staff, Ty Kovatch, voiced concern about Adams’ decision to ask the teen to lie.

“It reveals a much more strategic and planned effort to mislead people,” Kovatch said.

Leonard said he believes Adams can continue as mayor – unless “further omissions and discrepancies” emerge.

Sam Adams, 45, was sworn into office at 12:01 a.m. New Year’s Day at City Hall during a ceremony attended by a crowd of about 40 that included his mother and his partner.

Adams won the job seven months ago in a primary race by capturing 58 percent of the vote and therefore negating the need for a runoff election.

None of Adams’ opponents raised his sexuality in the race. Neither did he.

“This is a testament to how fair-minded Portlanders are that it wasn’t an issue,” Adams said. “I spend my time on the basic issues of life. A part of that includes equal rights, but that’s not even close to a majority of the time.”

Adams grew up in a working-class household that he said was at times dependent on food stamps and subsidized housing. Just as being a gay man drives much of his political activism, he said, his working-class background influences his ambitions as mayor.

“My passions for public service includes promoting social justice equality for all, but it obviously also includes finding good jobs for people, which is also part of my family’s background of not being able to always have economic security,” he said. “Being gay is part of me, so is being Irish-American, so is being from a small Oregon town.”

Adams served 11 years as chief of staff to Mayor Vera Katz and was elected in 2004 to the City Council.

The new mayor said he and other city officials have so far requested $880 million in federal funds for dozens of “shovel-ready” projects to improve parks, roads and the water system in Portland, which has a population of about 575,000.

In two weeks, the city plans to announce a job stimulus package, he said, though he declined to give details.

“What I’ve found is in each of those recessions is government falls prey to the national frailty,” he said. “What’s also frustrating is it’s happening at the very time when government is needed most.”