T-Shirt Pokes Fun At Mayor Sex Scandal

POSTED: 4:05 pm PST January 22, 2009

UPDATED: 5:31 pm PST January 22, 2009

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland-based business is already cashing in on a sex scandal involving Mayor Sam Adams.

Penfifteentees.com is selling shirts that read “Portland, Oregon: Where You Only Have to Be 18 To Enjoy A Sam Adams.” The owners of the T-shirt company said they jumped on the idea when it came to them.

“We had a customer of ours come up with the idea and run it past us,” said Marcelle Abel, who helps run the company. “We decided, we can’t pass it up. So we decided to use it on one of our tees and so far, we’ve gotten really good reactions.”

The shirt costs $20 and is only available at the Web site.

Adams, a 45-year-old Democrat, admitted Monday that he lied about a relationship with Beau Breedlove, a former teenage intern.

In September 2007, undeclared mayoral candidate Bob Ball accused Adams and Breedlove of having a sexual relationship when Breedlove was 17 years old. At the time, Adams and Breedlove denied having a sexual relationship.

Months later, Adams coasted to victory in the 2008 election, making Portland the largest U.S. city to ever elect an openly gay mayor. He was sworn in Jan. 1.

On Tuesday, however, Adams apologized for lying about the relationship. He first admitted the sexual relationship to the Willamette Week as it prepared to publish evidence. — Fox 12 Oregon