Neil Goldschmidt, once a beloved politician known for revamping Oregon’s economy but who fell from grace after the public’s discovery of his sexual abuse of a neighborhood girl, died at 83 from heart failure on Wednesday.
He died in his Portland, Oregon, home surrounded by family two days before his 84th birthday.
Goldschmidt’s admitted sexual abuse of a 14-year-old neighbor girl began in the 1970s when he was mayor of Portland. At the time, he became the nation’s youngest big-city mayor, responsible for revitalizing the downtown area, per Oregon Live, and he was seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party.
According to Goldschmidt’s victim, who died in hospice in 2011, the sexual encounters between her and Goldschmidt continued until she was 27.
During this time frame, Goldschmidt served as secretary of transportation in the Carter administration. Following Jimmy Carter’s defeat in 1979, Goldschmidt returned to work at Nike, where he was vice president in charge of international sales from 1981 to 1985, then president of Nike Canada from 1985 to 1987.
Over these years, Goldschmidt’s victim reportedly struggled to hold a job, abused alcohol and drugs, and attempted to kill herself multiple times. Her dreams as a little girl of being a Supreme Court justice were far out of reach. Her chatter to people about the abuse she suffered under Goldschmidt got back to him, and he sent handlers to deal with her.
Goldschmidt ran for governor and won in 1986. People were shocked when he decided against running for a second term.
While the statute of limitations had run out for Goldschmidt’s sexual abuse, his victim filed a civil suit against Goldschmidt, and they both agreed to a settlement.
It wasn’t until 2004 that Democratic state Sen. Vicki Walker tipped off the press that Goldschmidt had paid a settlement fee to the victim.
The Oregonian published a story in May 2004 that included a partial confession from Goldschmidt, and reporting from the Willamette Week later uncovered more details behind Goldschmidt’s scandal.
While many members of the public have condemned Goldschmidt, he still had the backing of close friends and family.
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“Neil was a force of personality and the patriarch of our large, blended family. Although he battled many health issues for years, he was actively engaged with family and friends in discussions about school, business, politics and wine until the day of his passing,” they said in the statement. “We will deeply miss his presence in our lives.”
Goldschmidt is survived by his children Rebecca MacMillan and Josh Goldschmidt, as well as several stepchildren, grandchildren, and stepgrandchildren.
