The mayor of Medford, N. J., who has been plagued by rumors that he hired a male prostitute, stepped down from his post this week.
Chris Myers, a Republican, submitted his resignation letter Monday, citing “work commitments.”
Myers previously worked for Lockheed Martin but the company placed him on administrative leave last month and a company spokesperson said this week that Myers left the company at the beginning of December.
In October, a California man accused Myers of failing to follow through on promises he made in exchange for sex.
The man, who posted the story online and emailed it to township officials, claimed Myers paid him $500 for sex but did not give him the car and other gifts that he pledged.
The site featured photos of what appears to be Myers in his underwear and an identification card resembling his name. The anonymous post has since been disabled.
Myers has repeatedly denied the allegations, although he did acknowledge that he was in California on business in October 2010, when the encounter is alleged to have happened, and suggested that someone entered his hotel room and took the photos while he was sleeping.
Since the rumors surfaced, Myers has missed or postponed numerous council meetings.
In his resignation letter, Myers made no reference to the scandal.
“While I am proud of my service to Medford Township, I am looking forward to leaving the public arena and enjoying the next chapter of my life with the most wonderful family and friends anyone could ask for,” Myers said in a statement.
Myers is a married father of two.
The resignation was effective immediately, and council voted in Councilman Bob Martin as Myers’ replacement. The Republican County Committee has 15 days to nominate three candidates to council to fill the empty seat, and council will vote on the replacement one month later.
Medford, population 22,000, is about 18 miles east of Philadelphia.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].