Fumes From Coffee Urn Sicken Mayor

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department forensics laboratory is examining a foul-smelling substance discovered in a coffee urn used by Mayor William S. Craycraft at a City Council meeting.

“It smelled like rancid oil,” Sheriff’s Lt. George Johnson said Tuesday. “Absent any information that it was a prank, you have to assume the worst. There are a lot of nuts running around out there.”

After pouring a cup of coffee from the urn at Monday night’s council session, Craycraft said he was overcome by fumes.

Craycraft later excused himself from the meeting, complaining of an upset stomach. He returned after 15 minutes and finished the meeting without further interruption.

The mayor was not immediately available for comment Tuesday, but his wife, Bobette, said he had fully recovered.

Johnson said the substance in the urn filled a small paper cup and resembled a thick layer of dirty, yellow oil. He speculated that the urn could have been tampered with between the afternoon and evening council sessions when the chambers were empty.

Laboratory results to identify the material were expected late today. “We are giving this a high priority,” Johnson said. “There is a man working full-time on this.”

Neither Craycraft nor Johnson would speculate whether the tainted liquid was left as a joke.

The mayor has been involved in several controversies in recent months.

He has been heavily criticized for proposing a strict anti-drug ordinance that was diluted by fellow council members Monday night.

The ordinance would have forced felony drug offenders to register with police and would have banned convicted felony substance abusers from receiving subsidized housing. It has been criticized by Mission Viejo residents and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.

The mayor also supports Councilman Robert A. Curtis, who is the focus of a recall attempt. Craycraft has spoken against the recall and last month donated $500 to Curtis’ anti-recall campaign.