According to some reports, it’s now all over but the formal announcement: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s brief, scandal plagued tenure in San Diego’s City Hall will crash to an end soon. Reports say he signed a resignation letter:
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has signed his resignation letter, according to news reports Friday, a move that comes as the City Council prepares to consider a deal concerning the embattled mayor’s future.
Several California news outlets on Friday reported the letter-signing, hours before the council takes up Filner’s case. Eighteen women have so far accused the Democratic mayor of sexual harassment, including his former communications director, who is now represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred in a lawsuit against Filner and the city.
Filner, lawyers and city representatives spent three days in mediation talks this week and reportedly reached a deal on Wednesday. The San Diego City Council will assess the proposal in a meeting Friday afternoon.
Following Filner’s official resignation, a special election to fill his seat must be called within 90 days. Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher has already signaled interest in running, filing papers this week that will allow him to begin fundraising. Former Councilman Carl DeMaio — currently running as a Republican for Congress — could also get into the race, along with a host of others.
Filner, San Diego’s first Democratic mayor in two decades, also served 10 terms in Congress but this summer has drawn the ire of leading national Democrats including both California senators, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The DNC was expected to vote on Friday on a resolution calling for him to resign.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.