Filner ends tumultuous tenure as San Diego mayor

Updated 9:04 PM ET

SAN DIEGO Bob Filner ended his brief but tumultuous tenure as mayor Friday amid allegations that he sexually harassed women, making no public appearances on a final day that came one week after a defiant farewell speech in which the onetime civil rights activist called himself the victim of a "lynch mob."

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said Filner's last act as mayor was to halt a controversial remodeling of a neighborhood Jack in the Box restaurant. Gloria immediately overturned the decision, saying it exposed the city to litigation.

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The former 10-term congressman kept a low profile on last final day, ceding media attention to a mock celebration by accusers who gave him several parting gifts, including a mirror that attorney Gloria Allred said he can look at when asking who's to blame for his resignation.

Employees in the City Hall lobby said they didn't see the 70-year-old mayor on his last day. An office receptionist had no comment.

Before the scandal, Filner was true to his reputation as a workaholic. Followers adopted a Twitter hashtag — (hash)filnereverywhere — to chronicle his nonstop pace riding a bicycle to school with children, crashing the podium at the city attorney's news conference to denounce the speaker's positions, and marching to protest violence against women.

The city's first Democratic leader in 20 years turned into a virtual no-show after allegations surfaced last month that he sexually harassed women.

At a news conference, Allred displayed a farewell card that said she looked forward to seeing Filner at a deposition in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson — the first of nearly 20 women to identify herself as a target of the mayor's unwanted advances. She is the only one who has sued Filner.

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Allred was flanked by two other Filner accusers.

"I was a victim, and now I am a survivor," said Peggy Shannon, 67. Shannon volunteers at the senior citizen information desk in the City Hall lobby and accused Filner of kissing her on the lips, repeatedly asking her on dates, and boasting of his sexual prowess.

Gloria, a Democrat, said he would interview Filner's staff and hoped to keep most in their jobs. On Thursday, he named McCormack, as she is known professionally, to be his communications director.

"The days of sliding backward are over," said Gloria, who is weighing whether to run for mayor in a Nov. 19 special election to replace Filner.

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The California attorney general's office has launched a criminal investigation of Filner, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has been interviewing his accusers and will deliver its findings to the attorney general's office for possible prosecution.

Filner leaves office as questions linger about how someone who acknowledged mistreating women for many years — but denied sexual harassing them — could have survived for so long in politics.

Those who know Filner say he might have been more easily exposed as the leader of the nation's eighth-largest city than as a congressman farther from the spotlight. His behavior also might have deteriorated after being elected mayor.

"There was a flood of community members who now felt welcome at City Hall, who felt welcome in the mayor's office after years, if not decades, of being shut out," attorney Cory Briggs said. "The speculation on my part ... is that there were an awful lot of people who wanted an audience with the mayor, and that provided him with an opportunity."

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Filner ends tumultuous tenure as San Diego mayor

Updated 9:04 PM ET

SAN DIEGO Bob Filner ended his brief but tumultuous tenure as mayor Friday amid allegations that he sexually harassed women, making no public appearances on a final day that came one week after a defiant farewell speech in which the onetime civil rights activist called himself the victim of a "lynch mob."

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said Filner's last act as mayor was to halt a controversial remodeling of a neighborhood Jack in the Box restaurant. Gloria immediately overturned the decision, saying it exposed the city to litigation.

Play Video

The former 10-term congressman kept a low profile on last final day, ceding media attention to a mock celebration by accusers who gave him several parting gifts, including a mirror that attorney Gloria Allred said he can look at when asking who's to blame for his resignation.

Employees in the City Hall lobby said they didn't see the 70-year-old mayor on his last day. An office receptionist had no comment.

Before the scandal, Filner was true to his reputation as a workaholic. Followers adopted a Twitter hashtag — (hash)filnereverywhere — to chronicle his nonstop pace riding a bicycle to school with children, crashing the podium at the city attorney's news conference to denounce the speaker's positions, and marching to protest violence against women.

The city's first Democratic leader in 20 years turned into a virtual no-show after allegations surfaced last month that he sexually harassed women.

At a news conference, Allred displayed a farewell card that said she looked forward to seeing Filner at a deposition in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson — the first of nearly 20 women to identify herself as a target of the mayor's unwanted advances. She is the only one who has sued Filner.

Play Video

Allred was flanked by two other Filner accusers.

"I was a victim, and now I am a survivor," said Peggy Shannon, 67. Shannon volunteers at the senior citizen information desk in the City Hall lobby and accused Filner of kissing her on the lips, repeatedly asking her on dates, and boasting of his sexual prowess.

Gloria, a Democrat, said he would interview Filner's staff and hoped to keep most in their jobs. On Thursday, he named McCormack, as she is known professionally, to be his communications director.

"The days of sliding backward are over," said Gloria, who is weighing whether to run for mayor in a Nov. 19 special election to replace Filner.

Play Video

The California attorney general's office has launched a criminal investigation of Filner, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has been interviewing his accusers and will deliver its findings to the attorney general's office for possible prosecution.

Filner leaves office as questions linger about how someone who acknowledged mistreating women for many years — but denied sexual harassing them — could have survived for so long in politics.

Those who know Filner say he might have been more easily exposed as the leader of the nation's eighth-largest city than as a congressman farther from the spotlight. His behavior also might have deteriorated after being elected mayor.

"There was a flood of community members who now felt welcome at City Hall, who felt welcome in the mayor's office after years, if not decades, of being shut out," attorney Cory Briggs said. "The speculation on my part ... is that there were an awful lot of people who wanted an audience with the mayor, and that provided him with an opportunity."

View the original article here

Filner ends tumultuous tenure as San Diego mayor

Updated 9:04 PM ET

SAN DIEGO Bob Filner ended his brief but tumultuous tenure as mayor Friday amid allegations that he sexually harassed women, making no public appearances on a final day that came one week after a defiant farewell speech in which the onetime civil rights activist called himself the victim of a "lynch mob."

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said Filner's last act as mayor was to halt a controversial remodeling of a neighborhood Jack in the Box restaurant. Gloria immediately overturned the decision, saying it exposed the city to litigation.

Play Video

The former 10-term congressman kept a low profile on last final day, ceding media attention to a mock celebration by accusers who gave him several parting gifts, including a mirror that attorney Gloria Allred said he can look at when asking who's to blame for his resignation.

Employees in the City Hall lobby said they didn't see the 70-year-old mayor on his last day. An office receptionist had no comment.

Before the scandal, Filner was true to his reputation as a workaholic. Followers adopted a Twitter hashtag — (hash)filnereverywhere — to chronicle his nonstop pace riding a bicycle to school with children, crashing the podium at the city attorney's news conference to denounce the speaker's positions, and marching to protest violence against women.

The city's first Democratic leader in 20 years turned into a virtual no-show after allegations surfaced last month that he sexually harassed women.

At a news conference, Allred displayed a farewell card that said she looked forward to seeing Filner at a deposition in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson — the first of nearly 20 women to identify herself as a target of the mayor's unwanted advances. She is the only one who has sued Filner.

Play Video

Allred was flanked by two other Filner accusers.

"I was a victim, and now I am a survivor," said Peggy Shannon, 67. Shannon volunteers at the senior citizen information desk in the City Hall lobby and accused Filner of kissing her on the lips, repeatedly asking her on dates, and boasting of his sexual prowess.

Gloria, a Democrat, said he would interview Filner's staff and hoped to keep most in their jobs. On Thursday, he named McCormack, as she is known professionally, to be his communications director.

"The days of sliding backward are over," said Gloria, who is weighing whether to run for mayor in a Nov. 19 special election to replace Filner.

Play Video

The California attorney general's office has launched a criminal investigation of Filner, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has been interviewing his accusers and will deliver its findings to the attorney general's office for possible prosecution.

Filner leaves office as questions linger about how someone who acknowledged mistreating women for many years — but denied sexual harassing them — could have survived for so long in politics.

Those who know Filner say he might have been more easily exposed as the leader of the nation's eighth-largest city than as a congressman farther from the spotlight. His behavior also might have deteriorated after being elected mayor.

"There was a flood of community members who now felt welcome at City Hall, who felt welcome in the mayor's office after years, if not decades, of being shut out," attorney Cory Briggs said. "The speculation on my part ... is that there were an awful lot of people who wanted an audience with the mayor, and that provided him with an opportunity."

View the original article here

Bob Filner agrees to resign

Updated 8:20 PM ET

Mayor Bob Filner of San Diego speaks at a press conference announcing his intention to seek professional help for sexual harassment issues July 26, 2013 in San Diego, California.

/ Bill Wechter/Getty Images

After six weeks of heated controversy over the sexual harassment charges against him, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has agreed to resign, CBS News' Ben Tracy confirms.

The San Diego City Council on Friday voted 7-0 to accept Filner's resignation as part of a deal his lawyers struck with the city attorney over a sexual harassment suit against him. As part of the deal, Filner will stay in office until Aug. 30.

As many as 18 different women have publicly accused the mayor of groping, forcible kisses, and unwanted touching. After Filner last month declined to resign -- instead opting to spend two weeks at a behavioral counseling clinic -- the public pressure against the mayor intensified. San Diego residents have started a recall campaign, while the Democratic National Committee on Friday unanimously voted to demand Filner's resignation.

Before its closed-door meeting, the San Diego City Council heard from dozens of San Diego residents who came to address the controversy in a special meeting. Some expressed their support for Filner, while others spoke out against him, and still others criticized the council for its handling of the controversy.

"I came down here today just to let you know how determined our gatherers and voters are to get this predator permanently out of this building," said Julie Adams.

Irma Valdez was one of the few who spoke in Filner's favor.

"We're not fooled. We know this is a circus to get a good man out of office," said Valdez.

Some citizens asked the City Council to reject the deal and let the recall effort against Filner to move forward, rather than agree to a settlement covering any of Filner's legal fees. Other recall supporters, however, said that Filner needed to be removed from office as soon as possible.

The San Diego city council chambers were packed Friday, Aug. 23, as citizens gave their opinion about the future of Mayor Bob Filner.

/ CBS

The city is expected to be paying at least some of Filner's legal expenses, while one of his accusers is suing the city itself.

City council president Todd Gloria will now become acting mayor. He told CBS News' Tracy that negotiating Filner's resignation and covering some of his legal costs was a necessary evil.

"What I know is each day that passes this man is mayor more bad things are happening to our city, less services getting done, fewer businesses coming to San Diego, and our national reputation continues to be drug through the mud," Gloria told Tracy.

Filner, 70, took office last year as San Diego's first Democratic mayor in 20 years. Before becoming mayor, Filner served 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and cast himself as a champion of female veterans.

Meanwhile, CBS News has learned that Filner is the focus of a California attorney general criminal investigation. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said: "I can confirm a criminal investigation is underway. I cannot comment further."

A source close to the investigation told CBS News: "This is certainly not over, the criminal investigation is underway, Mr. Filner's resignation does not change that."

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Video: 8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigns

8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigns 21:23 August 23, 2013

8/23: U.S. prepares for possible strike on Syria; San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resignsAs the death toll rises in Syria, the Pentagon makes preparations for action; Then, San Diego's Mayor Bob Filner, embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal, has resigned; Also, Steve Hartman meets a traffic cop with a record number of complaints - zero.

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