Idaho Senator Pleaded Guilty After Arrest In Restroom
Sen. Larry E. Craig pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor disorderly-conduct charges stemming from his June arrest by an undercover police officer in a men's restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a court spokeswoman and the senator's office said yesterday.
Craig issued a statement confirming his arrest and guilty plea, which were reported in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. But the Idaho Republican maintained that he had not engaged in any "inappropriate conduct" and that the airport police misunderstood his behavior.
Sen. Larry E. Craig denied any "inappropriate conduct." (By Charles Dharapak -- Associated Press)
"At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct," Craig said. "I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."
Now in his third term, Craig, 62, has been a member of Senate Republican leadership and ran unsuccessfully in 2002 to become the GOP whip, the No. 2 leadership job. He has been a prominent figure on gun rights and Western lands issues, and he resigned yesterday as Idaho chairman of the presidential campaign of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R).
Craig "did not want to be a distraction," said Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades, "and we accept his decision."
Roll Call, citing a copy of a report by airport police, said that officers had been conducting a sting operation inside the men's room because of complaints of sexual activity there. The police report gives this account of the arrest:
The undercover officer was monitoring the restroom at noon on June 11. A few minutes later, Craig entered and sat in the stall next to him. Craig began tapping his right foot, touched his right foot to the left foot of the officer in the stall next to him and brushed his hand beneath the partition between them. He was then arrested.
While he was being interviewed about the incident, Craig gave police a business card showing that he is a U.S. senator. "What do you think about that?" Craig asked the officer, according to the report obtained by Roll Call.
Airport police declined to comment last night. Nancy Peters, a spokeswoman for the Hennepin County District Court, confirmed the charges. She said that Craig paid $500 in fines and was placed on one year's probation, beginning Aug. 8, the date he pleaded guilty. He could face an additional $500 in fines and a 10-day jail sentence if he violates probation.
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In 2006, a gay activist alleged that he had spoken with men who had sexual encounters with Craig, including an anonymous man in the restrooms at Union Station. Craig's office told the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., that the allegations were "completely ridiculous."
The activist, Mike Rogers, who runs a gay Web site, BlogActive.com, has complained about Craig's opposition to gay rights. The conservative senator has supported an amendment to the Constitution banning same-sex marriage and voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in the 1990s. Craig, who served in the National Guard, has also spoken out against homosexuals serving in the military.
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