Filner Sexual Harassment Settlement Tentatively Reached

Accused of sexual harassment by 18 women, is Bob Filner on the way out of office?

Mayor Filner, a 70-year-old Democrat who was a former Congressman, may have reached a settlement with the city of San Diego over the pending sexual harassment lawsuit against him. The city has also been named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Negotiations have been underway for several days over the litigation. The San Diego City Council is also suing the mayor to recover any legal costs if the city is found liable in the lawsuit brought by Irene McCormack Jackson.

Although to date Bob Filner has refused to quit, speculation is that the mayor could be trying to orchestrate a deal where he would leave office in exchange for avoiding having to cough up any money damages in the legal case.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said that he would be presenting a possible resolution of the Filner matter to the City Council in closed session on Friday afternoon but could not provide any further information. If the council approves it, the settlement would then become public. “No details were released, and it was unclear whether a resignation was part of the deal.”

In a statement to the media today, Goldsmith said “Any rumors you hear about the proposal you may deem to be untrue because the people standing here are the ones who know of it and we have all committed… that we will maintain the confidentiality of the mediation.”

An effort to recall the mayor — who supposedly acquired the nickname of “filthy Filner” during his 20 years in Washington — is also underway.

Filner, who recently returned from a therapy program of some kind, now also has the unique distinction of being banned from all San Diego area Hooters restaurants.

Republicans have held the mayor’s office for about 20 years until Filner was narrowly elected in a November 2012 runoff. If he leaves office, City Council President Todd Gloria would serve as acting mayor until the next election.

[top image credit: Pattymooney]