As a result of the controversy surrounding his arrest and guilty plea, and pressure from fellow Republicans,[2][3][4] at a news conference on September 1, Craig announced his intention to resign from the Senate, effective September 30. After subsequent failed efforts to withdraw his guilty plea, on October 4, he released a statement refusing to resign from the Senate. Craig did not run for re-election in 2008, and the incident effectively ended his political career.
Arrest
The bathroom at the Minneapolis–St. Paul airport in which the 2007 incident occurred
On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on suspicion of disorderly conduct.[5] The nature of the alleged activity has been categorized by some as cottaging.[6] 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.[5]
According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court,[7][8][9] 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.[5]
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?"[5] 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."[8] Craig never used the term "wide stance" himself. According to the transcript of the police interrogation, 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."[7]
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.[5]
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.[10]
Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct by signing and mailing a plea petition, dated August 1, 2007, to the Hennepin County District Court in Minnesota.[11][12] He paid $575 (equivalent to $845 in 2023[13]), 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.[11]
Allegations about prior conduct become public
On October 17, 2006, gay rights activist Michael Rogers reported on sexual liaisons between Craig and unnamed individuals in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station.[14] Rogers uncovered a news story from 1982 that tied Craig to a sex and drug scandal in the US Congress. Rogers reported on more recent activity in various places throughout the nation. Rogers' report prompted Craig to issue a denial.[15]
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.[16] 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."[17] In the second reported incident, a man, who identified himself as gay, told a reporter that Craig cruised him at the REI store in Boise in November 1994, following him around the store for half an hour.[17] 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."[17] A reporter for the Idaho Statesman interviewed Craig on August 28, 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!"[17]
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."[18] In an August 28, 2007, press conference[19] 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's arrest provoked a small flurry of attention to that earlier scandal, and it was suggested that Craig had absorbed a lesson from it: "sexual misconduct—or even the mere perception that one is gay—could ruin a man's reputation. But steadfast, straight-in-the-eye denial just might get him off the hook."[20]
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. On August 30, the Statesman called for Craig's resignation.[21] 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.[22][23]
Craig was one of two Senate liaisons for Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign, but removed himself from that campaign role after the conviction became public.[24] Romney said of Craig, "He's disappointed the American people."[25] 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."[26]
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.[25] Members of the Republican Party in Congress began calling for Craig to resign, including Representative Pete Hoekstra (MI),[27] Senator John McCain (AZ),[28] Senator Norm Coleman (MN)[27] and Senator John Ensign (NV). Coleman and Senator Susan Collins (ME) announced that they would donate campaign contributions received from Craig's political action committee to charity.[29] Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), sitting chair of the Judiciary Committee, criticized the Republicans for holding to a double standard, for not having called likewise for the resignation of Senator David Vitter (R-LA), accused in a call girl scandal. Leahy said further that the Republicans were motivated by politics, in that Craig would be replaced by a Republican governor while Vitter would be replaced by a Democratic governor. Ensign, for the Republicans, denied the double standard, saying on ABC that Craig had pleaded guilty to a crime while Vitter was only accused. Senator Arlen Specter, then (R-PA), encouraged Craig to fight to withdraw his guilty plea, concluding on Fox News Sunday "I think he could be vindicated."
[30]
Resignation announcement/reversal, 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,[33] if his conviction was rapidly overturned and his committee assignments were restored.[34]
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."[35] 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 argued that Craig had entered the plea under stress caused by media inquiries into his sexuality.[36] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an amicus curiaebrief 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."[37][38]
Craig's motion hearing to withdraw his guilty plea was held on September 26, 2007, before Judge Charles A. Porter, Jr.[39][40] Craig's Washington D.C. attorney, William Martin, argued that Craig's actions could not 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.[41] On September 26, 2007, Craig released a statement that he would remain in office until the Hennepin County District Court judge ruled on his motion to withdraw his guilty plea.[42]
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.[43] As part of Craig's appeal of this ruling, the ACLU filed a brief that cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling from 38 years earlier finding that those engaging in sexual encounters in closed stalls in otherwise public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy," a finding that the ACLU argued would contradict the state's claim that Craig was inviting the undercover officer to have sex "in public."[44]
After Judge Porter's ruling, Craig announced that despite his pledge to the contrary, he would serve out his Senate term. He stated that he intended 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."[45] Craig did not run for re-election in 2008 and left office on January 3, 2009. He was succeeded by Republican Jim Risch, the Lieutenant Governor of Idaho.
In September 2008, Craig's attorney argued before a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals that there was insufficient evidence to find Craig guilty of a misdemeanor. In December 2008, the appellate court rejected this attempt to have the guilty plea tossed out and rejected the constitutional challenge to the charges.[46][47]
On January 8, 2009, Craig dropped his appeal to the Minnesota State Supreme Court after his attorney determined that the Court would be unlikely to accept a petition for further review of the case, ending the legal challenge to his guilty plea.[48]
Gay men allege sexual contact with Craig
In December 2007, eight gay men came forward to the Idaho Statesman newspaper alleging either sexual encounters with Craig or attempts by Craig to engage in sexual encounters.[49][50] Four of the men gave the newspaper graphic, recorded details of their alleged sexual encounters.[49] One of the four was Mike Jones, the male escort who, in November 2006, had been involved in a sex and methamphetamine scandal with Ted Haggard.[49] Jones claimed that Craig had paid him $200 (equivalent to $302 in 2023[13]) for a massage and oral sex.[49] 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."[49]
Use of campaign funds for legal defense
February 2008 Senate Ethics Committee letter
On February 13, 2008, the Senate Ethics Committee sent a letter of admonition to Craig, stating that his "improper conduct" reflected "discreditably" on the United States Senate.[51][52] The Committee held that Craig had indeed committed the actions for which he had pleaded guilty,[52] and that his efforts to withdraw his guilty plea were intended to evade the repercussions of his actions.[51] Noting that Craig had tapped campaign funds to spend $213,000 (equivalent to $301,000 in 2023[13]) for legal fees and public relations fees on the case, the Committee argued that this showed his disregard of ethics.[51] Campaign funds may only pay legal bills when they are related to the senator's official duties.[53]
2012 FEC lawsuit
In June 2012, the Federal Election Commission sued Craig for repayment of $217,000 (equivalent to $288,000 in 2023[13]) of campaign funds plus fines of $6,500 (equivalent to $8,600 in 2023[13]) from the former Senator and his treasurer, Kaye O'Riordan. Craig used the money to pay for his defense in the case. In an August 2012 filing, Craig's lawyer Andrew Herman wrote "Not only was the trip itself constitutionally required, but Senate rules sanction reimbursement for any cost relating to a senator's use of a bathroom while on official travel"; the filing cited an FEC ruling that allowed former Congressman Jim Kolbe to use campaign funds for his legal defense in the Mark Foley scandal.[54][55] In March 2013, the court found "expenditures for legal fees" unqualified as "ordinary and necessary expenses in connection with Mr. Craig's duties as a federal officeholder and... irrespective of his duties as an officeholder."[55]
Both the 2009 documentary Outrage and Newsweek's June 7, 2010 issue's Back Story listed Craig as one of several prominent conservative politicians who had a record of anti-gay legislation and was later caught in a gay sex scandal.[58]
The stall (second from right) at the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport bathroom in which the incident occurred gained notoriety.[59] The restroom was later demolished.[60]
Craig's airport men's room arrest is used in a "ripped from the headlines" episode of Law & Order— Season 18 episode 6 ("Political Animal"). A New York City councilman is shown "foot tapping" and runs his hand under the wall of the stall occupied by Lupo (Jeremy Sisto). Lupo subsequently arrests the councilman, who later loudly declares "I am not gay!" to some assembled reporters, much like Craig did.
Similarly, in December 2007, an episode of Boston Legal—season 4 episode 8 ("Oral Contracts")—is based on this scandal, in which William Shatner's character Denny Crane is arrested for solicitation in a bathroom, because of tapping in a stall while constipated. Craig's name is directly referenced.
Robert Lund and M. Spaff Sumsion's 2007 CD Politicked Off! had a parody of The J. Geils Band's "Centerfold", entitled "My Men's Room Date's a Senator",[61][62] which refers to the incident.
The According to Jim episode "The Rendezvous" (2008) features the title character Jim setting up to meet his beloved wife Cheryl at the airport hotel to have a quickie, before she leaves to aid her ailing mother. While in the airport bathroom, Jim accidentally taps the shoe of the occupant in the next stall, then asks for some toilet paper by sliding his hand under the stall. He then has a police badge flashed at him from the adjacent stall and is promptly in trouble.
The Broadway musical Spamalot produced a comedic climatic skit with the knights peeling off their armor to reveal tutus and singing and dancing to "Wide Stance."
^Complaint in Minnesota v. CraigArchived June 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
Glacier in Graham Land, Antarctica Location of Fallières Coast on the Antarctic Peninsula. Marvodol Glacier (Bulgarian: ледник Мърводол, romanized: lednik Marvodol, IPA: [ˈlɛdnik mɐrvoˈdɔɫ]) is the 9.3 km long and 3.7 km wide glacier on Fallières Coast in Graham Land, Antarctica. It is situated south of Kashin Glacier, north of Forbes Glacier and east-southeast of Bucher Glacier, flows southwards between Shapkarev Buttress and Rudozem Heights, turn...
Pour le héros de la série, voir Crash Bandicoot (personnage). Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Cet article ne cite pas suffisamment ses sources (octobre 2019). Si vous disposez d'ouvrages ou d'articles de référence ou si vous connaissez des sites web de qualité traitant du thème abordé ici, merci de compléter l'article en donnant les références utiles à sa vérifiabilité et en les liant à la section « Notes et références
يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (ديسمبر 2018) حارة النفيش - حارة - تقسيم إداري البلد اليمن المحافظة محافظة صنعاء المديرية مديرية ضواحي ال
Елісон Піллангл. Alison Pill Народилася 27 листопада 1985(1985-11-27)[2][3] (38 років)Торонто, КанадаГромадянство КанадаДіяльність акторка, акторка театру, кіноакторкаAlma mater Vaughan Road AcademydРоки діяльності 1997 — тепер. часУ шлюбі з Joshua LeonarddIMDb nm0683467 Нагороди та премії Gemini Awardd (2011...
Кубок Італії 2011—2012 Подробиці Дата проведення 6 серпня 2011 — 20 травня 2012 Кількість учасників 78 Призові місця Чемпіон «Наполі» (4-й раз) Віцечемпіон «Ювентус» Статистика Бомбардир(и) Едінсон Кавані (5 м'ячів) Зіграно матчів 79 Забито голів 228 (2.89 за матч) ← 2010—2011 2012—...
Logo von Dirty Dancing Die Liste der meistverkauften durch den BVMI zertifizierten Musikalben in Deutschland ist eine Übersicht aller Musikalben, die in Deutschland Gold- und Platinauszeichnungen des Bundesverbands der Musikindustrie (BVMI) für über eine Million verkaufte Exemplare (Millionenseller) erhalten haben. Als Interessensvertreter der deutschen Musikindustrie vergibt dieser Verband seit 1975 derartige Zertifizierungen für kommerziell erfolgreiche Musikalben. Das erfolgreichste au...
Oceanic trench in the northwest Pacific You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (June 2012) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Japanese article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machin...
Bài này không có nguồn tham khảo nào. Mời bạn giúp cải thiện bài bằng cách bổ sung các nguồn tham khảo đáng tin cậy. Các nội dung không có nguồn có thể bị nghi ngờ và xóa bỏ. Nếu bài được dịch từ Wikipedia ngôn ngữ khác thì bạn có thể chép nguồn tham khảo bên đó sang đây. (tháng 9/2021) Bài này viết về công viên từng mang tên Lê Nin. Đối với công viên Lê Nin hiện tại, xem Công viên Lê...
Alfarook Educational CenterEstablished1990LocationKozhikode, Kerala, IndiaWebsitewww.alfarook.in Al-Farook Educational Center Teaching Staff at Alfarook College 2019 January Alfarook Educational Centre is a multi-discipline campus at Feroke in Kozhikode District, India. 11°11′48″N 75°51′29″E / 11.19653°N 75.85793°E / 11.19653; 75.85793 History Al-Farook Educational Center is a project of the Rouzathul Uloom Association. The college started functioning from ...
أحادي أكسيد الكربون أحادي أكسيد الكربون أحادي أكسيد الكربون أحادي أكسيد الكربون التسمية المفضلة للاتحاد الدولي للكيمياء البحتة والتطبيقية Carbon monoxide أسماء أخرى Carbon monooxideCarbonous oxideCarbon(II) oxideCarbonylFlue gasMonoxide المعرفات رقم CAS 630-08-0 Y بوب كيم (PubChem) 281 مواصفات الإدخال النصي المبسط للج...
Areas and districts of London, England Districts of London and List of districts of London redirect here. For the local authority districts in London, see London boroughs and List of London boroughs. London is the capital of and largest city in England and the United Kingdom. It is administered by the Greater London Authority, City of London Corporation and 32 London boroughs. These boroughs are modern, having been created in 1965 and have a weaker sense of identity than their constituent dis...
Sporting event delegationChinese Taipei at theAsian GamesIOC codeTPENOCChinese Taipei Olympic CommitteeMedalsRanked 9th Gold 118 Silver 164 Bronze 304 Total 586 Summer appearances195419581962196619701974–1986199019941998200220062010201420182022Winter appearances1990199619992003200720112017 Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), first competed at the Asian Games in 1954 and continued participating at the games under various names.[1] Due to political factors, the ROC delegat...
14th episode of the 13th season of South Park PeeSouth Park episodeEpisode no.Season 13Episode 14Directed byTrey ParkerWritten byTrey ParkerProduction code1314Original air dateNovember 18, 2009 (2009-11-18)Episode chronology ← PreviousDances with Smurfs Next →Sexual Healing South Park (season 13)List of episodes Pee is the thirteenth season finale of the American animated television series South Park. The 195th overall episode of the series, it originally air...
У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Архив (значения). В статье есть список источников, но не хватает сносок. Без сносок сложно определить, из какого источника взято каждое отдельное утверждение. Вы можете улучшить статью, проставив сноски на источники, подтве...
Palácio da JustiçaCentro de Memória Judiciária de Niterói Palácio da Justiça (Niterói)O Palácio da Justiça à noite Estilo dominante ecletismo Arquiteto Emile Dupuy Tessain, Heitor de Melo e Pietro Campofiorito Início da construção 1913 Fim da construção 1919 Inauguração 1919 Geografia País Brasil Cidade Niterói Coordenadas 22° 53' 34 S 43° 07' 04 O Palácio da Justiça é um edifício histórico localizado no Centro do município de Niterói, no estado do...
Alexander William Roberts (1938) The Hon. Alexander William Roberts FRSE FRAS FRSSA (4 December 1857–21 January 1938) was Scottish-born, South African teacher and an amateur astronomer. He was an expert on the stars of the southern hemisphere and did much mapping of these stars. He was affectionately known as Roberts of Lovedale. Life He was born in Farr, in the county of Sutherland, Scotland. His father, William Henry Roberts, moved to Admiralty House, on Newhaven Road in Leith, north ...
