Lars Larson: Gov. Goldschmidt escaped his crimes

By Lars Larson
NW and national radio host,

Neil Goldschmidt deserved to die a long time ago for his crimes against a teenage girl: three years of rapes for which he never faced indictment.

The grim reaper finally came for him this week.

Goldschmidt was a political superstar in the Northwest and could have ended up on a Presidential ticket.

Youngest Mayor of a major city at 33 when Portland elected him, chosen by Jimmy Carter as Transportation Secretary, an executive at Nike, Governor of Oregon for one term and he could have had a second.

But he walked away and we only know why because of reporter Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week. Jaquiss broke the story of the criminal secret Goldschmidt hid for decades…buying the silence of his rape victim with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Goldschmidt lived a charmed and wealthy life while the girl went from a gifted student in high school to drug addiction, mental illness, arrests, and a trip to prison.

Jaquiss went on to document the many politically powerful people in Oregon who knew the secret and kept it … along with the careers that came with their association with Goldschmidt.

Even after news of his child rape went public, Goldschmidt enjoyed the good life … homes in Oregon and France, a taste for fancy wine and political connections to powerful people.

His victim, Elizabeth Dunham died a decade ago at the age of 49.

I figure God knows what to do with him now.