Larry Craig
Un article de Vev.
Modèle:Pp-semi-protected Modèle:Otheruses4 Modèle:Infobox Senator Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American politician from the state of Idaho. As a Republican, he has represented the state of Idaho in the United States Senate since 1991. In addition, Craig served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district (1981–1991).<ref name="congress_bio"> CRAIG, Larry Edwin - Biographical Information
. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Library of Congress
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> Including his service in the House of Representatives, Craig is the second-longest serving member of the United States Congress in Idaho history, trailing only William Edgar Borah. In addition to serving in Congress, Craig has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association since 1983.<ref>NRA 2007 Official Ballot, up for re-election of a three year term</ref> Craig has also been selected for induction into the Idaho Hall of Fame.<ref>CNN report, October 7, 2007</ref> Although he was selected in March 2007, the announcement was made in October 2007.<ref>http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHg91eIrqnZL3812w0ZEH_6bkhZwD8S4AHBO0</ref>
On August 27 2007 the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call revealed that Craig had been arrested for lewd conduct in a men's bathroom on June 11 2007, and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct on August 8 2007.<ref> Murphy , Patti
; David Stout . " Idaho Senator Says He Regrets Guilty Plea in Restroom Incident " , New York Times , 2007-08-29 . Retrieved on 2007-09-01 . </ref> As a result of the controversy surrounding his arrest and subsequent guilty plea, Senator Craig announced his intention to resign from the Senate at a news conference on September 1, 2007, which was to become effective on September 30 2007. After failing to withdraw his guilty plea, on October 4, 2007, Craig released a statement refusing to resign as Senator for Idaho. Craig has stated that he will not run for re-election in 2008.<ref> Thomas Ferraro
(October 4 2007) . Sen. Craig won't resign in sex sting plea . www.reuters.com
. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. </ref>
Sommaire |
Early life and family
Craig was born in Council, Idaho, to Dorothy Lenore McCord and Elvin Oren Craig.<ref> Genealogy of Larry Edwin Craig
. Rootsweb
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> He grew up on a ranch outside Midvale in Washington County. In 1969 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Idaho. At the University of Idaho he was student body president and a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He pursued graduate studies at George Washington University before returning to his family's Midvale ranching business in 1971. Craig was a member of the Idaho Army National Guard from 1970 to 1972, attaining the rank of Private First Class (E3)<ref name="navyleague"> Veterans in the US Senate 109th Congress
(PDF) . Navy League
. Retrieved on 2006-12-09. </ref>, after which he received an honorable discharge.<ref name=idahoaug28> Dan Popkey
. " Men's room arrest reopens questions about Sen. Larry Craig " , Idaho Statesman , 28 August 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-09-03 . </ref>
Craig married Suzanne Thompson in 1983 and adopted the three children she had from a previous marriage.<ref>Associated Press Election Coverage, October 18, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-18</ref> Through his adopted children, Craig has nine grandchildren.<ref name="Official Biography"> Larry Craig, US Senator from Idaho: Official Biography
. United States Senate
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref>
Political career
Craig was elected to the Idaho Senate in 1974 and reelected in 1976 and 1978.<ref name="Official Biography"/>
In 1980, Craig was elected to an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district. He succeeded Republican Steve Symms, who left the House and was elected to the Senate after defeating Democrat Frank Church. Craig was re-elected four times, serving until 1991. While in the House, he supported President Ronald Reagan's push to expand vocational education.
Allegations of cocaine use and sex with male teenage congressional pages by unnamed congressmen were pursued by investigators and journalists in 1982.<ref>Akers, M.A. (August 28 2007). Larry Craig: Still not gay. The Washington Post. Retrieved on September 23, 2007.</ref> Craig issued a statement denying involvement.<ref>Pear, R. (July 8 1982). Authorities meet on Capitol sex and drug inquiry. The New York Times, p. B-9.</ref> Craig stated "Persons who are unmarried as I am, by choice or by circumstance, have always been the subject of innuendos, gossip and false accusations. I think this is despicable."<ref name=idahoaug28 /> Craig served on the House Ethics Committee. In 1989 Craig was reported to have led an extended effort that pushed for more severe punishment of Representative Barney Frank for his involvement in a gay prostitution scandal.<ref>"What to do about Barney Frank // Congress faces nasty confrontation on handling sexual misconduct", Rowland Evans, Robert Novak. Austin American Statesman. Austin, Tex.: Oct 17, 1989. pg. A.8 Word spread through the GOP cloakroom that Rep. Larry Craig of Idaho was standing firm inside the Ethics Committee. </ref><ref>"Frank reprimanded for aiding prostitute" Elaine S. Povich, Chicago Tribune Chicago, Ill.: Jul 27, 1990. pg. 4 The ethics committee, officially known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, had unanimously recommended that Frank be reprimanded and Frank did not contest the charge. But the committee was severely split, took months to make up its mind on the punishment, and during the vote Thursday three GOP members of the panel-Reps. Thomas Petri of Wisconsin, Larry Craig of Idaho and Jim Hansen of Utah-voted for censure, the more severe sanction.</ref>
U.S. Senate
Craig announced his candidacy for the 1990 Senate election for the seat vacated by the retiring James A. McClure. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones in the Republican primary. In the general election he defeated Democratic former Idaho Legislature member Ron J. Twilegar with 57 percent of the vote.
In 1995, Craig formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators with Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and James Jeffords.<ref>Wired News They Put the Party in GOP 19 April, 2000.</ref>
Craig was reelected in 1996, again with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Walt Minnick. He was reelected again in the 2002 election with 65 percent of the vote, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat Alan Blinken.
In 1999, Craig became sharply critical of U.S. President Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Speaking on NBC's Meet The Press, Craig told Tim Russert: "The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy - a naughty boy. I’m going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy.”
Craig served as Senate Republican Policy Committee chairman from 1997 until 2003.<ref name="congress_bio" /> During this time, he exposed Clinton Administration support for Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia and Herzegovina.<ref> Clinton-Approved Iranian Arms Transfers Help Turn Bosnia into Militant Islamic Base
. United States Senate (1997-01-16)
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> He then became chairman of the Special Committee on Aging. After the Democrats gained control of the Senate in the 2006 Congressional election, Craig became the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He served as the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Amid the controversy surrounding his arrest and guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct, Craig temporarily stepped aside as ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and two subcommittees in August 2007.<ref> Bash , Dana
; Candy Crowley, Jessica Yellin and Chris Welch
(2007-08-29) . Craig stripped of party leadership on Senate committees . CNN.com
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref>
Craig is a long-time, leading advocate for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution.<ref> Associated Press
(2003-02-13) . CNN All Politics/ . CNN.com
. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. </ref>
In May 2003, Craig put a hold on more than 200 Air Force promotions in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new C-130 cargo planes in Idaho, claiming he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered. Defense Department officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the Idaho Air National Guard unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.<ref> Snow , Kate
; Steve Turnham and Trish Turner
(2003-06-10) . Idaho senator holds up Air Force promotions: Dispute over cargo planes at issue . CNN.com
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref>
Craig supports the guest worker program proposed by President George W. Bush. In April 2005, Craig tried to amend an Iraq War supplemental bill with an AgJOBS amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and one million illegal immigrants in farm work. The amendment failed with 53 votes (60 votes were needed because the amendment was not germane to the underlying bill).<ref>San Diego Tribune Legal status for undocumented farmworkers fails April 20, 2005</ref> A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006. Craig, the principal sponsor of AgJOBS, continues to support amnesty for illegal immigrants who are "trusted workers with a significant work history in American agriculture."<ref> Putting our Immigration Policies to work
. United States Senate
. Retrieved on 2007-04-10. </ref> This position has been sharply criticized by anti-immigration activists.<ref> Vasquez will challenge Craig in 2008
. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
</ref> On June 26, 2007, Craig reiterated his support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.
In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned after Hurricane Katrina had hit and was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that "Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of Louisiana as well."<ref>"
Senator: LA is as Corrupt as Iraq " , WAFB (Louisiana) , 2005-10-18 . Retrieved on 2007-09-01 . </ref>
On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a cloture motion filed relative to the USA PATRIOT Act; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic filibuster against extension of the act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was permitted to continue.<ref>CNN.com Patriot Act renewal fails in Senate. December 17, 2005.</ref> On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place.<ref>USA TODAY Senate strikes deal to extend Patriot Act, December 21, 2005.</ref> On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement among himself, the White House, and fellow Senators John E. Sununu, Arlen Specter, Lisa Murkowski, Chuck Hagel, and Richard Durbin to reauthorize the Act.<ref>CBS News Agreement Reached on Patriot Act Changes, February 10, 2006.</ref>
In 2006, Craig posted to his Senate website<ref>[1]</ref> all the earmarks he had inserted into federal spending bills since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1998.
The American Conservative Union rated Craig's 2005 voting record at 96 out of 100 points, while the Americans for Democratic Action rated him at 15 points. Craig supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which barred extension of rights to same-sex couples; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006. However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex civil unions, but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-gay rights group Families for a Better Idaho.<ref> Craig Clarifies: 'Yes' on Marriage Amendment
. United States Senate (2006-11-06)
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> Craig voted against cloture in 2002, which would have extended the federal definition of hate crimes to cover sexual orientation.<ref>Senate: Roll Call</ref> This legislation was passed in 2007 in both the House and the Senate as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Craig voted against the measure<ref>Senate: Roll Call</ref>. The LGBT advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign issued guides to candidates' voting records in 2004. The Human Rights Campaign group gave him a 0 rating.<ref name="108thScorecard>Congressional Scorecard -- 108th Congress. (n.d.). The Human Rights Campaign (p. 6). Retrieved on September 8, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).</ref>
Prior to the nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior in March 2006.<ref>Red Orbit Kempthorne, Craig Could Be Nominees, March 11, 2006.</ref>
Idaho Hall of Fame induction
In 2007, Idaho Hall of Fame Association inducted Larry Craig into the Idaho Hall of Fame, despite his well-publicized arrest and guilty plea in an airport sex sting, following the failure to appeal. He had been picked in March 2007, months before the arrest.<ref>"
Sen. Larry Craig chosen for Idaho Hall of Fame " , CNN , 2007-10-07 . Retrieved on 2007-10-10 .
</ref>
June 2007 arrest and August 2007 guilty plea
On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of lewd conduct.<ref name="policeRpt"/> The nature of the alleged activity has been categorized by some as cottaging.<ref>Hitchens, C. (September 1 2007). So many men's rooms, so little time: Why men like Larry Craig continue to court danger in public places. Slate Magazine. Retrieved on September 1, 2007.</ref> According to the police report, the police officer sat in a bathroom stall as part of an undercover operation investigating complaints of sexual activity in the restroom. After about 13 minutes of sitting in the stall, the police officer observed Craig lingering outside and frequently peeking through the crack of the door on the stall. Craig then entered the stall to the left of the officer's stall. The police officer made the following observations, which he recorded in his report of the incident, as to what happened next:
At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then proceeded to swipe his left hand under the stall divider several times, with the palm of his hand facing upward.<ref name="policeRpt">Lewd conduct: Report of Sgt. Dave Karsnia #4211, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. (June 12 2007). The Washington Post. Retrieved on August 28, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing). See also U.S. senator gets flushed: Republican Larry Craig sought Minnesota airport toilet tryst. (August 28 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.</ref>
According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court,<ref>Transcript: Audio interview of Sen. Larry Craig. (August 30 2007). Fox News Retrieved on September 5, 2007.</ref><ref name="incidentRpt">Offense/incident/arrest report, OCA number 07002008: Larry Edwin Craig. (June 11 2007). Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.</ref><ref name="crimcomplaint">Complaint in Minnesota v. Craig, Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.</ref> the officer showed Craig his police identification beneath the partition separating their stalls, and the officer then pointed his finger towards the restroom exit. Craig initially said no, but he ultimately complied with the officer's request to leave the restroom. After Craig and the officer left the restroom, Craig was reluctant to go with the officer and demanded the officer show his police identification a second time. Once the officer complied with the request, Craig, the arresting officer, and a police detective, who was stationed outside of the restroom, went to the airport police station.<ref name="policeRpt"/>
After the arresting officer read Craig his Miranda rights, the officer interviewed Craig about the restroom incident. At one point, Craig handed his business card to the arresting officer, which identified him as a U.S. Senator, and said to him, "What do you think about that?"<ref name="policeRpt"/> Craig told the officer that he was worried about missing his flight, and the arresting officer asked the police detective to call the airline to hold the flight. The detective reported that no one answered the telephone for the airline, and the arresting officer proceeded with the interview.
According to the arrest report prepared by Sgt. Dave Karsnia, "Craig stated ... He has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine."<ref name="incidentRpt"/> Craig never used the term "wide stance" himself. According to the transcript of the police interogation, Sgt. Karsnia asked: "Did you do anything with your feet?" and Craig replied: "Positioned them, I don't know. I don’t know at the time. I'm a fairly wide guy."<ref name="policeRpt"/>
When the officer asked Craig about the use of his hands, Craig said that he reached down with his right hand to pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor. The officer disputed Craig's version by saying "there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper." Craig also disputed the officer's assertion about the position of his hand, claiming that his right palm was faced down as he picked up the paper from the floor. The officer disputed Craig's version, alleging that Craig used his left hand because his thumb "was positioned in a faceward motion." During the interview and in the incident report, the officer commented that Craig either disagreed with what happened in the restroom or could not recall the events as they happened.<ref name="policeRpt"/>
Craig returned to the airport on June 22 to complain about how he had been treated by the police. According to the police report about Craig's return, Craig said he wanted information for his lawyer.<ref>Craig insists "I am not gay," police say he sought information for lawyer." (2007-08-28). The Idaho Statesman. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.</ref>
Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct by signing and mailing a plea petition, dated August 1, 2007, to the District Court in Hennepin County, Minnesota.<ref name="craig-plea">Minnesota v. Craig, Case No. 07043231. Petition to enter plea of guilty-misdemeanor (D.C. Minn., August 8, 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007. According to the criminal complaint, Craig was charged originally with offenses under the Minnesota State Statute section 609.746, subd.1(c) (interference with privacy, a gross misdemeanor) and section 609.72, subd.1(3) (disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor). Complaint in Minnesota v. Craig, Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.</ref><ref>"
Idaho senator fined for lewd behavior at Minneapolis airport " , Minneapolis Star Tribune , 28 August 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-08-28 . </ref> He paid $575, including fines and fees. Senator Craig signed the petition to enter his guilty plea, which contained the provisions "I understand that the court will not accept a plea of guilty from anyone who claims to be innocent... I now make no claim that I am innocent of the charge to which I am entering a plea of guilty." Craig mailed his signed petition to the court, and his petition to plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge was accepted and filed by the court on August 8, 2007.<ref name="craig-plea"/>
Allegations about prior conduct become public
On August 27, 2007 Roll Call broke the story to reveal details about Craig's arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and his subsequent guilty plea in that case.<ref> John , McArdle
. " Craig Arrested, Pleads Guilty Following Incident in Airport Restroom but Says He Did Nothing Wrong " , Roll Call , August 27, 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-08-29 . </ref> After the conviction came to light, the Idaho Statesman published a story on August 28, 2007 about three allegations involving Craig's sexual conduct. A college student, who was considering pledging at Craig's fraternity at the University of Idaho in 1967, told a reporter for the Idaho Statesman that Craig led the student to his bedroom and "made what the man said he took to be an invitation to sex."<ref name=idahoaug28 /> In the second reported incident, a man, who identified himself as gay, told a reporter that Craig cruised him at the R.E.I. store in Boise in November 1994, following him around the store for half an hour.<ref name=idahoaug28 /> The last reported incident to the Idaho Statesman about Craig's conduct came from a 40-year-old man with close ties to Republican officials. According to the man's story about the encounter with Craig, the man "reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004."<ref name=idahoaug28 /> A reporter for the Idaho Statesman interviewed Craig on May 14 2007 regarding the allegations about his conduct, and in response to the reporter's questions, Craig said "I'm not gay, and I don't cruise, and I don't hit on men. [...] I don't go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn't do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!"<ref name=idahoaug28 />
Responses to the arrest
Craig told the public that the officer misconstrued his actions, that he was not involved in any inappropriate conduct, and had failed to seek legal counsel: "In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."<ref>Craig Statement on Roll Call Story. Press release. August 27 2007. Office of Senator Larry Craig.</ref> In an August 28 2007 press conference in Boise, Idaho, Craig said:
I am not gay. I never have been gay.... In June, I overreacted and made a poor decision. I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away.... Please let me apologize to my family, friends and staff and fellow Idahoans for the cloud placed over Idaho. I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport. I did nothing wrong, and I regret the decision to plead guilty and the sadness that decision has brought on my wife, on my family, friends, staff and fellow Idahoans.
Craig claimed that his state of mind was troubled at the time of the guilty plea because he and his family "[had] been relentlessly and viciously harassed" by the Idaho Statesman in the course of its investigation into allegations of Craig's homosexuality and its August 28 article. On August 30, the Statesman called for Craig's resignation.<ref name="StatesmanEditorial"> Our View: Craig Must Resign
. Idaho Statesman (30 August 2007)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-30. </ref> In response to questions about the arrest, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police Department released an audiotape of Craig's interview with Sergeant Dave Karsnia, the arresting officer. In that interview, Craig denied wrongdoing and claimed that he was a victim of entrapment.<ref name="MSNBC-audio"> NBC News and news services
. " Audio of Craig arrest reveals new details " , MSNBC , 30 August 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-08-30 . </ref><ref>Full transcript of the police interrogation, FOX News, August 30, 2007.</ref>
Craig was one of two Senate liaisons for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, but removed himself from that campaign role after the conviction became public.<ref>Lewd conduct charge puts GOP Sen. Larry Craig's political future in doubt. (August 28 2007). FOX News. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.</ref> Romney said of Craig, "He's disappointed the American people."<ref name="apdenies"> Sen. Craig denies sex charge, says 'I am not gay'
. Associated Press (28 August 2007)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-28. </ref> Craig later expressed bitterness about Romney's handling of the incident, saying in an interview with Matt Lauer, "And [Romney] not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again."<ref>Craig Says He Was Entrapped in Sex Sting; Matthew Daly; AP; 2007-10-17; retrieved on 2007-10-18</ref>
A Washington watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee requesting an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate Rules of Conduct.<ref name="apdenies" /> Members of the GOP in Congress began calling for Craig to resign, including Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-MI),<ref name="yahoo"> Espo , David
. " GOP senators say Craig should resign " , Yahoo! News , 2007-08-29 . Retrieved on 2007-09-01 . </ref> Senator John McCain (R-AZ),<ref> Silva , Mark
(2007-08-29) . Republican senators: Sen. Craig should resign . The Swamp . Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN).<ref name="yahoo" /> Coleman and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced that they will donate campaign contributions received from Craig's political action committee to charity.<ref>Coleman, Collins donating Craig contribution to charity Boston Herald, 30 August 2007</ref>
Senate GOP leaders including Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Trent Lott (R-MS) asked Craig to "temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests." Craig subsequently agreed to step down from those posts as the ranking Minority member.<ref> Kraushaar , Josh
(2007-08-29) . Craig steps down from top committee posts . The Crypt's Blog . Politico
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. </ref> Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, issued a statement condemning the senator's actions.<ref> Log Cabin Questions Senator Craig’s Ability to Continue Serving
. Log Cabin Republicans (2007-08-29)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. </ref>
Resignation announcement and motion to withdraw plea
At a news conference on September 1, 2007, Craig announced his intent to resign, "with sadness and deep regret", effective September 30, 2007. On September 4 2007, a spokesperson for Craig indicated that he was reconsidering his decision to resign,<ref name="MSNBC-reconsidering">Sen. Craig may not resign, spokesman says. MSNBC. Retrieved on September 5, 2007.</ref> if his conviction was rapidly overturned and his committee assignments were restored.<ref name="Yahoo-reconsidering"> Charles Babington
(6 September 2007) . Craig aide says he's likely to leave . Yahoo News
. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. </ref>
On September 10, 2007, Craig's attorneys filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea arguing that it "was not knowing and intelligent and therefore was in violation of his constitutional rights."<ref>CNN Craig files to withdraw plea, blames stress from paper's investigation Sep 10, 2007 </ref> His lawyers further argued that Craig "felt compelled to grasp the lifeline," hoping that if he were to submit to an interview and plead guilty that none of the allegations would be made public. The motion argues that Craig entered the plea under stress caused by media inquiries into his sexuality.<ref> Freed, Joshuah
. Craig Files to Withdraw Guilty Plea . Associated Press
.</ref> The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed an amicus curiae brief stating that the secret sting operation used by the police was not "carefully crafted" to avoid ensnaring innocent speech and that "the defendant should be permitted to withdraw his plea, and, should the state recharge him, to contest the constitutional validity of any prosecution." <ref> ACLU Says Secret Sting Operation Used to Arrest Senator Larry Craig Was Likely Unconstitutional
. ACLU
.</ref><ref> Craig v. State of Minnesota - ACLU Amicus
. ACLU
.</ref>
Craig's motion hearing to withdraw his guilty plea was held on September 26, 2007 before Judge Charles A. Porter, Jr.<ref> Hearing for Craig Is Set for Sept. 26
. Washington Post
.</ref><ref> State of MN v. Larry Edwin Craig
.</ref> Craig’s Washington D.C. attorney, William Martin argued Craig’s actions couldn't be considered disorderly conduct because "you should have either touching, or words, or a combination of the two." The other main argument was made by Craig’s Minneapolis attorney, Thomas Kelly, who argued that the mail-in petition used by Craig was "defective" because it lacked a judge’s signature.<ref> Deborah Caulfield Rybak and Erika Bolstad
. " Craig says he'll stay in office 'for now' " , Idaho Statesman , 2007-09-26 . Retrieved on 2007-09-27 . </ref> On September 26, 2007, Craig released a statement that he would remain in office until the Hennepin County District Court judge has ruled on his motion to withdraw his guilty plea.<ref>New York Times, September 26, 2007</ref>
On October 4, 2007, Porter denied Craig's motion to withdraw his guilty plea, ruling that Craig's plea was accurate, voluntary, and intelligent, and that evidence supported the conviction.<ref name="MNorder">State of Minnesota v. Larry Edwin Craig, Case No. 27 CR 07-043231. Order of Judge Charles A. Porter, Jr. (D.C. Minn., October 4, 2007).] State of Minnesota District Court, County of Hennepin, Fourth Judicial District. Retrieved on October 4, 2007.</ref> After Porter's ruling, Craig announced that he would serve out his Senate term, despite his pledge to the contrary, to "continue my effort to clear my name in the Senate Ethics Committee — something that is not possible if I am not serving in the Senate."<ref>Modèle:Cite</ref> Advisors say that Craig will not seek reelection at the end of his current term.<ref>"
Sen. Craig Not Resigning Despite Judge's Ruling " , CNN , 2007-10-04 . Retrieved on 2007-10-04 . </ref> On October 15, 2007, Craig announced his intention to appeal the court's decision.<ref> Craig appeals judge's decision in sex sting
. Retrieved on 2007-10-15. </ref>
If Craig does eventually resign before his current terms ends, Republican Idaho Gov. Butch Otter will appoint an interim senator to serve until the 2008 election.<ref> Theresa Cook
. " Craig Resigns After Sex Scandal " , ABC News , 2007-09-01 . Retrieved on 2007-09-01 . </ref> Lt. Gov. Jim Risch has been named by some sources as the person Otter would appoint.<ref> John Miller and Matthew Daly . " GOP officials: Craig to resign Saturday " , Associated Press , 1 September 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-09-01 . </ref>
Gay men allege sexual contact with Craig
In December 2007, eight gay men came forward alleging either sexual encounters with Craig, or attempts by Craig to engage in sexual encounters, to the Idaho Statesman newspaper.<ref name="more"> Popkey, Dan
. " More gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig " , Idaho Statesman , 2 December 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-12-02 . </ref><ref name="eight"> Felling, Matthew . " Eight men out " , CBS News , 4 December 2007 . Retrieved on 2007-12-04 . </ref> Four of the men gave graphic, recorded details of their alleged sexual encounters to the Idaho Statesman which the newspaper in turn published on their web site.<ref name="more" /> One of the four was Mike Jones, the male escort who in November 2006 ignited a sex and methamphetamine scandal surrounding Ted Haggard. Jones claims that Craig paid him $200 for a massage and oral sex. A Craig spokesman responded, "Mike Jones is lying in order to sell his book [about Ted Haggard] - plain and simple. Larry has never met Mike Jones."<ref name="more" />
References
External links
- United States Senator Larry Craig, Senate site
- Article about the Larry Craig scandal on Time.com
- New York Times — Larry E. Craig News collected news and commentary
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Larry Craig profile
- Idaho Statesman study of Craig
- The Smoking Gun — Minnesota v. Larry Edwin Craig, Case No. 07043231, Police interview (audio and transcript), police report, criminal complaint and plea agreement
- State of Minnesota v. Larry Edwin Craig, Case No. 070403231, U.S. District Court (4th Dist., Hennepin County, MN) (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing all documents)
| Preceded by John Breaux | Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee 2003 – 2005 | Succeeded by Gordon Smith |
| Preceded by Arlen Specter | Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee 2005 – 2007 | Succeeded by Daniel Akaka |
| Preceded by Don Nickles | Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee 1996 – 2003 | Succeeded by Jon Kyl |
Modèle:USSenID Modèle:IdahoUSRepresentatives Modèle:ID-FedRep Modèle:Current U.S. Senators
Modèle:DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Larryde:Larry Craig es:Larry Craig eo:Larry Craig fr:Larry Craig ga:Larry Craig it:Larry Craig ms:Larry Craig nl:Larry Craig ja:ラリー・クレイグ pl:Larry Craig pt:Larry Craig ru:Крейг, Ларри Эдвин fi:Larry Craig sv:Larry Craig
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