Free Republic

For years, Mayor John Duran has been a public avatar for West Hollywood’s cheekily sexual culture. From the City Council dais, he joked about wearing gold lamé underwear and announced a public forum on anal cancer named Booty Call to Action. But he was also accused by another councilman of looking for sex on the dating app Grindr during public meetings. Even after the city paid $500,000 in 2016 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Duran’s former council deputy—whom Duran hired after meeting on Grindr and having sex with him—Duran was reelected. For many, it seemed West Hollywood...

Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, revealed another pre-2016 election “hush money” development in the ongoing scandal enveloping Trump during an appearance in West Hollywood Thursday night. “We represent three additional women that you haven’t heard about yet. We’re in the process of getting clearance from those clients to release details relating to those payments and the efforts to silence those women by AMI, Donald Trump, and Michael Cohen, and I will tell you that at least one of those women claimed to be pregnant at the time, “Avenati said. “So we’re...

The mayor of West Hollywood, Calif., will join city officials on Wednesday to present adult film star Stormy Daniels with a Key to the City and a City Proclamation, according to a media advisory. In the press release, city officials recognized Daniels for her "leadership in the #RESIST movement" and noted that the city has previously passed resolutions calling for articles of impeachment to be introduced against President Trump. Daniels, the release reads, has "proven herself to be a profile in courage by speaking truth to power even under threats to her safety and extreme intimidation." The city will also...

West Hollywood Mayor John Duran, who honored porn star Stormy Daniels last week for her role in leading the “resistance” to President Donald Trump, faced sexual harassment claims that led to the city paying out $500,000 on his behalf in 2016. The Los Angeles Times reported at the time: A former aide to West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran who sued the city and his boss alleging sexual harassment and wrongful punishment is set to receive $500,000 after settling with both parties earlier this month, according to the agreement obtained by The Times. Under the terms of the settlement with...

Councilman John Duran and his gay colleagues on the West Hollywood City Council never expected a backlash when they voted recently to remove the rainbow flag from above City Hall. For Duran, who is gay, taking down the flag wasn't about slighting gays but sending a message about the city's diversity. "It's not just a city of gay men. It belongs to heterosexual people as well," he said. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-weho-gay-identity-20140307,0,7458432.story#ixzz2vNq2Uy21