Embattled Mayor Bob Filner released a short statement – and photo collage – Thursday letting the City of San Diego know he’s moving “forward with city business.”
The mayor’s office sent out an email that included a photo collage (pictured below) of Filner working and attending recent local events and meetings including Sunday’s San Diego Pride party and several events on Thursday such as a strategy meeting for the grand opening of a library, an outstanding civil engineering celebration and even a staff birthday party.
SPECIAL SECTION: Mayor Under Fire
A written statement from Filner in the center of the collage reads:
“My appointed staff & I will continue to improve America’s Finest City. Whether it’s attending internal or external events, for constituents or staff, I understand that the City’s work comes first.”
The mayor of San Diego has been under fire for the past week after former allies, including Donna Frye, accused him of sexually harassing numerous unidentified women.
The trouble came to a boiling point on Monday when Frye, along with attorneys Marco Gonzalez and Cory Briggs, held a second press conference demanding Filner’s resignation. Frye and Gonzalez presented detailed accounts of victims claiming to have been sexually harassed by the mayor.
After that press conference, Filner released a statement saying he refused to resign and demanded his right of due process.
"As your elected mayor, I fully expect to be accountable to the citizens of San Diego for all of my actions. But as a citizen of this country, I also expect – and am entitled to – due process, and the opportunity to respond in a fair and impartial venue to specific allegations," Filner said in his statement released Monday.
Meanwhile, the San Diego County Democratic Central committee plans to meet Thursday evening to discuss the allegations against Filner.
Party Chair Francine Busby says sexual harassment is unacceptable at any level of government, and says it’s the party’s priority to ensure that the office of the mayor is leading San Diego effectively.
