Fairfax City, Virginia Mayor Richard
“Scott:” Silverthorne has resigned over charges he agreed to
provide illegal drugs in exchange for sex with other men.
Silverthorne announced his resignation
on Monday. Thursday is his last day in office.
Undercover detectives arrested
Silverthorne, 50, last week after he allegedly attempted to exchange
methamphetamine for sex. Detectives set up the sting operation after
police received a tip in July that the mayor was exchanging drugs for
sex with men on an unidentified gay hookup website. Within a few
days, Silverthorne had agreed to meet with a man who was an
undercover detective, and even promised to bring along other men.
A group that helps to elect openly LGBT
people to public office said that they were unaware of Silverthorne's
sexuality.
“Victory Fund has never worked with
or had any contact with Silverthorne, so we are unaware of his sexual
orientation,” Elliot Imse, the group's director of communications,
told
the Washington
Blade.
Silverthorne's attorney, Brain
Drummond, said that his client was unofficially out.
“It was the worst-kept secret in
Fairfax,” Drummond said. “He had actually come out some years
ago, but it didn't really take. People kind of blew it off. And he
didn't make any kind of great announcement.”
According to various reporter,
Silverthorne, who was first elected mayor in 2012 and served 18 years
on the Fairfax City Council, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this
year.