An ethical and wise decision.

I wish this article had further discussed Murray's case for why his lawsuit should be publicly funded. I'm not connecting the dots...And what exactly does "politically motivated" mean anyway? Isn't city government non-partisan?

@3
Read the article.
When you combine bigoted reporters with stupid readers...

@4 I read the article. The only possible reason he gave is the suit is "politically motivated," which he doesn't back up. Do YOU have any insight? Maybe you could try being helpful instead of broadcasting insults?

@5 The article doesn't really get into the whole sordid backstory of how we got here but these allegations have surfaced before when Murray was in state government. At that time, the allegations were funded by individuals who had ties to anti-LGBTQ groups and it was alleged that the timing was entirely about thwarting Murray's career. A version of this surfaced again which timed with Murray's now dropped bid for re-election. If you believe this is just a hit job designed to run him out of government on a rail using the tools of gay panic and child sexual abuse where no misconduct exists, then you would see this as nothing but political motivated. In this calculus, this bid has been successful enough to drive him out of the race for re-election and the purpose has been served. Still others view these not mutually exclusive situations and that whatever you think of the mayor and his on the job performance, these allegations should be investigated and substantiated or sent away on their merits. There is still the question about why these lawsuits haven't been withdrawn is they solely motivated. There could be a lot of reasons for why or why not but if these lawsuits stay the course, it does give less credit to the political motivation charge.

The problem with this ask is that legal defense funds for city employees typically exist to protect employees from legal tangles that occur from on the job happenings. You could make the argument that since this is all about the essential question if Murray is fit to mayor that this fits the definition of such. But it seems to the city and others, that's quite a reach considering the allegations were several decades ago and not resulting from something the mayor did while on the job. It also sends a terrible message to reporters of sexual abuse and rape that the city will wade financially into that murk and defend those who are accused with city money. Sensibly, the city declines to be put into this position.

NICE! The Stranger can't take alturnative views and deletes them!

@8:

The Stranger seems to have accepted your "alturnative" view of spelling pretty well.

(What's the problem -- are you slobbering over cute young boys again, and can't understand why the rest of us don't find that topic to be as compelling as you do?)