State GOP leader demands Mayor West resign over boygate

Put a fork in him.

Mayor Jim West, returning from a conference in Tampa, Fla., touched down at Spokane International Airport Thursday night in the midst of a storm of controversy following calls this week from his city council and political party leadership for him to resign from office.

West has scheduled a news conference Friday at 5 p.m. and says he will answer questions about the sex scandal that has resulted in numerous calls for him to step down.

The state Republican Party and Spokane County GOP leaders Thursday demanded that West, once one of the party’s top elected officials, resign in the wake of allegations that he molested juveniles and misused his office.

West has said he will fight allegations of sexual abuse, and will not resign.