John Duran, the mayor of West Hollywood, California, is stepping down as board chairman of a gay men’s chorus after multiple singers have accused him of sexual harassment. The allegations have surfaced nearly eight months after the progressive Democrat made national headlines for paying homage to Stormy Daniels — a porn star who once vowed to “take down” President Donald J. Trump.
Last spring, Duran declared May 23, 2018, “Stormy Daniels Day” at a press conference outside of an erotic apparel store named after a drag queen known for directing gay-themed, X-rated movies. The mayor presented Daniels with the proclamation in recognition of her “leadership in the #Resist movement,” while a councilmember gave her the official key to the city.
According to the Los Angeles Times, two vocalists affiliated with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) recently alleged that Duran slipped his hand inside of their underwear waistbands, while another claimed the mayor made lewd comments.
Duran, who has called West Hollywood “a sex-based city,” denied any wrongdoing and said the recent accusations had no bearing on his decision to resign from the group’s board later this summer.
For 20 years, Duran has been part of GMCLA. The ensemble has performed at local Women’s March events, sang at the anti-Trump “Resist March” in 2017, and serenaded President Barack Obama at a 2011 fundraiser.
GMCLA consists of more than 200 members who are not paid. However, Mayor Duran has been instrumental in luring financial support from corporate sponsors. According to recent tax returns, the nonprofit’s operating budget was $1.7 million in 2016 and dropped to $1.36 million the following year.
WEHOville, a news source that covers West Hollywood politics and culture, recently reported:
Under Duran’s leadership, GMCLA has attracted donations from companies that do business or seek to do business with the City of West Hollywood, leaving some to wonder whether that would affect Duran’s votes on issues involving those companies. Duran has said that his decisions on city matters are not influenced by whether or not a company donates to his favorite charitable organization. Among the large donors have been Athens Services, the trash pickup company; Wells Fargo, the city’s bank; and Combined Properties, the real estate developer. In recent months, while a city-appointed independent group evaluated applications for cannabis retail licenses, several cannabis retailers also began contributing to GMCLA.
The outlet also reports that Duran “is known for being open about his sexual behavior,” and that “he has an account on Grindr, the sex hookup app for gay men, and is well known for his interactions there.”
In fact, Duran admitted to having sex with a man he met on Grindr whom he later hired as a subordinate at City Hall. According to the L.A. Times, the individual was listed in Duran’s cellphone contacts as the “hot Greek.” He went on to sue Duran and the city for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The case was settled outside of court in 2016 when the city agreed to pay Duran’s accuser $500,000. CBS2 reported that the disbursement came from a statewide insurance policy.
Earlier this month, Duran attended a fundraiser for Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), who recently announced that she would run for president in 2020.
On Monday, the West Hollywood City Council voted to extend Duran’s current 12-month mayoral term, which is mostly a ceremonial position that rotates between the elected councilmembers. Mayor Duran will retain that title until September.
Follow Jeffrey Cawood on Twitter @Near_Chaos.