James Elton "Jim" West (March 28, 1951 – July 22, 2006) was an American politician from Spokane, Washington. While Mayor of Spokane in 2005, he was the target of allegations of the sexual abuse of boys twenty years earlier. These allegations became public after West became a target of a sting operation conducted by his hometown newspaper, The Spokesman-Review. Some journalists and academics criticized the paper for what they saw as a form of entrapment. West admitted engaging in homosexual behavior with adults, despite an earlier record of supporting "anti-gay" legislation. Though never charged, he was removed from office by recall in 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) eventually closed its investigation and took no action for lack of evidence. Early years Born in Salem, Oregon, West was raised in Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1969. He attended the University of Nevada in Reno, joined ROTC, then served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Honorably discharged in late 1974, West returned to Spokane to pursue a career in law enforcement, with the Medical Lake police department and later as a deputy sheriff for Spokane County. He concurrently attended Spokane Community College and graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in criminal justice in 1978. Legislative career After a failed bid for sheriff in 1978, West was elected to the Spokane city council in 1980. In 1982, he was elected to the state legislature as a Republican representing the 6th legislative district in the house. West was elected to the state senate in 1986, serving until his resignation to become Mayor of Spokane in 2003. In the senate, he chaired several powerful committees (health, ways and means) and was majority leader. During his years in the legislature, West developed a record as an opponent of homosexual rights. He supported several "anti-gay" bills, including one that would have banned gays and lesbians from working in schools and day care centers. He unsuccessfully proposed a law banning all sexual activity among unmarried persons under the age of 18. In 1995, when West was a state senator, he advocated the impeachment of Gov. Mike Lowry for alleged sexual harassment. He served as Mayor of Spokane from 2003 to 2005. Investigation In June 2003, under editor Steven A. Smith, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane's only daily newspaper, began a series of investigative reports into a