Posted on 12/03/2007 10:49:57 AM PST by jdm
Craig's list of accusers is lengthening.
Two men, including a former male escort, have confirmed to ABC News allegations that they had sexual encounters with Idaho's embattled Sen. Larry Craig.
Mike Jones, 50, told ABC News, Craig paid him $200 for sex during the winter of 2004-2005.
A second man, a 50-year old former Army captain, also told ABC News, that Craig made sexual advances towards him in the men's room of a Republican gathering in Washington state in 1981.
The men were two of eight new people who claimed encounters with Craig in an article published Sunday by the Idaho Statesman newspaper.
Senator Craig released a statement today calling the accusations "completely false." He also renewed his intention to serve out the rest of his term. "I will not let this paper's attempt to malign my name stop me from continuing my work to serve the people of Idaho."
Both men who talked to ABC News said they were frustrated with what they saw as the senator's continuing "hypocrisy'' about his sexuality. Craig has a history as a Republican legislator of opposing gay marriage and gay rights.
Jones, the former male escort, also said he was paid to have sex with Rev.Ted Haggard, who first denied, then admitted to the encounter. In Nov. 2006, Haggard resigned as president of the National Evangelical Association.
Four men have identified themselves publicly to the newspaper and claimed to have had sexual encounters with Craig, and four more men have made claims but refused to allow their names to be used.
Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he was accused by an undercover police officer of soliciting gay sex in the men's room of Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. After a press conference in which he angrily denied that he was homosexual, he changed his plans to step down from his office. While he has said he won't run for another term, he plans to finish out his current term, which ends in January, 2009.
The newspaper reported that it conducted background checks on five of the men, and found nothing to disprove their claims. The newspaper also said it verified Craig's travel records, where possible.
The Statesman acknowledged that it has not uncovered any definitive evidence of the claims - ''there are no videos, no love letters, no voice messages,'' writes veteran Statesman reporter Dan Popkey. "Like last August,'' referring to news of Craig's detention at the Minnesota airport, "they are he-said, he-said allegations about a man seeking discreet sex from partners whom he counted on to never tell."
Greg Ruth, 50, a photographer, told ABC News he distinctly remembers being showered with attention from then Congressman Craig during a Republican party reception in Couer d'Alene in the fall of 1981, when Ruth was an openly-gay, college Republican from the University of Puget Sound.
"He was paying so much attention to me at the reception, asking me all kinds of questions about U.P.S, and I loved to talk, so I was just asking him all kinds of questions about what it's like to be a congressman,'' Ruth said on Monday. "I remember asking somebody 'where's the bathroom?' and then I said, 'Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom.'
"So I just went to the urinal, and I don't know, about 30 seconds later he was right there next to me at the urinal. He glanced over the little barricade at my penis.''
Ruth said he remembered being a "little uncomfortable'' at that point, though he was clear that he hadn't been bothered by what he said were "clearly'' sexual advances from the congressman towards him prior to that point.
"I was like, 'get away from me, dude,'' Ruth told ABC News.
Ruth said that Craig "gave me a smile.
"He didn't touch me or anything like that. I don't think he tapped his foot or anything like that,'' he said, giggling.
"While we were washing our hands, he just said, 'If you ever get to Washington, please give me a call.'' Ruth said he was handed a white slip of paper with a phone number on it. He said he discarded the number long ago.
"I wish I would have kept it looking back now,'' he mused. "I'm thinking it would be so cool to have."
Ruth said two longtime college buddies were with him at the time of his alleged encounter with Craig, but had both asked that he not identify them, as they both have "aspirations'' in Washington state Republican politics.
Ruth also provided ABC News a cell phone number for his uncle Gerald King, who confirmed to the Statesman that his nephew had shared the story about Craig with him back in 1981. ABC News was unable to immediately contact King, who told the Statesman he clearly remembers his nephew making the claims at the time.
"I don't care if he's gay,'' Ruth said today of Craig. But, referring to the senator's voting record on gay rights "he's so anti-gay!''
"Do You Follow Politics, Mike?"
Mike Jones, 50, told ABC News that Craig paid $200 for mutual oral sex with the then-Denver-based escort/massage therapist. He said Craig remains distinctive in his memory.
"He's one of the few of my clients that did not totally take off all of his clothes,'' Jones said. He said Craig removed his coat and dress shirt but left his slacks, t-shirt and shoes on before climbing onto a massage table and requesting that Jones be naked. Jones said the pair engaged in mutual oral sex and masturbation.
Jones said he was adept at "guessing'' the professions of his clients, and said he was sure Craig was a politician because "the first thing he asked me when he walked in was 'Mike, do you follow politics?' and when I said I did, he changed the subject right away!"
Jones acknowledged that he contacted the Idaho newspaper to tell his story three months ago, after Craig reneged on a pledge to resign his office. He said he agreed to speak on the record only if other men were willing to come forward and identify themselves as well.
You don't want to go through what I went through - alone - with Haggard,'' Jones said. "Everybody called me a liar,'' he said. "It was a year of hell."
In 2006, Haggard initially denied Jones allegations that the pair had gay sex, but eventually resigned his powerful post as head of Colorado's New Life Church, and acknowledged he was guilty of "sexually immoral conduct."
Jones' credibility has been questioned, since he has published a book about his experience during the Haggard controversy, "I Had To Say Something: The Art of Ted Haggard's Fall." He denies he was motivated by publicity for the book.
"The book came out in June,'' he told ABC News. "If I really wanted to be as publicity hound, I would have come out [with his story] when the [Craig] story was hot. I didn't. The Idaho Statesman had my story for three months. I left it up to them when to publish it, '' he said, adding again that he wanted others to come forward publicly before his tale was published.
Jones said he would not have offered his story had the Senator resigned, as he had said he intended to do after the scandal erupted late last summer.
"Hypocrisy - that's the ultimate word,'' Jones said. "If it weren't for that, you would have never heard my story."
Craig has long and loudly complained that the Idaho Statesman has been on a witch-hunt against him for a long time.
"It is unfortunate that the Idaho Statesman has chosen to continue to lower itself to the standards of what can best be described as tabloid journalism,'' Craig said in a statement released to ABC News by communications director Dan Whiting.
"Like its previous coverage," the statement goes on, "these latest allegations are completely false and have no basis in reality. In fact, the paper itself states that these baseless accusations contain no definitive evidence yet they still decided to print them anyway."
For the Salacious ping list?
/just kidding.
Does this mean his wife is qualifed to run for President now?
LOL
the headline is actually clever
It’s just sex.
Meanwhile we can’t “add” any scandals to the Clintons’ rap sheet, it’s just considered so much “old news”. Actually they are “inconvenient truths” that stand between the Clintons and a return to the White House.
Who’s Larry Craig? Some guy leaving Congress.
Who’s Robert Byrd? Someone who’s still in Congress.
He’s not gay! Quite picking on him!
Does this mean he is up to eight or nine guys. There was a big list yesterday too. This guy is scum!!! He should resign. I guess he is trying to hold on as long as possible so when he is up for reelection, the people will have forgotten. I doubt highly they are going to forget this. Hey Senator Craig, take yourself and Senator Vitter out of the Senate NOW PLEASE!!! You both are a disgrace!
Yes, but it made me throw-up in my mouth a little.
Other than completely devastating his family and leaving his reputation in ruins, what is the point of all this? He’s already said he’s not running for re-election, and if he were to resign immediately, the governor of Idaho is a Republican who would appoint another Republican. I’m actually surprised that the MSM is still pursuing this. Doesn’t Larry Flynt have dirt on any other Republican??
"Craig's stance is widening"
The ever-widening stance?
What’s Craig’s stance on these new allegations, or is he just going to stand back and let it all shake out first?
Craig’s lisp may be lengthening as well.
Other than completely devastating his family and leaving his reputation in ruins, what is the point of all this? He’s already said he’s not running for re-election, and if he were to resign immediately, the governor of Idaho is a Republican who would appoint another Republican.That's right. If he got his gay ass out of there the governor could appoint a GOOD Republican. One who would be in a good spot to run for re-election in 2008.
This faggot is doing the work of Obama, Hillary and Edwards by doing his maggoty best to sabotage the Republican Party.
Too bad there's no way to pry his faggoty grip from his much-soiled and highly-besmirched Senate seat.
--------------------------------------------------
Don't you misfire
Fill me up
With the desire
To carry on
Don't you know honey
That love's a game
It's always a hit or miss
So take your aim
Got to hold on tight
Shoot me out of sight
Don't you misfire
Fill me up
With the desire
To carry on
Your gun is loaded
And pointing my way
There's only one bullet
So don't delay
Got to time it right
Fire me through the night
Come on take a shot
Fire me higher
Don't you miss this time
Please don't
Misfire!
I think there are a couple of points:
1) The Idaho Statesman is out to prove that its original reporting about Craig was right.
2) For the rest of us, I think it matters when a leader stands in front of the camera and claims one thing but the opposite is true. That's called lying. I thought it mattered that Clinton was lying when he said "I did not have sex with that woman," and I think it matters whether Craig is lying when he says he hasn't had sex with men. I want to know, and I think the rest of the citizens should know, whether our senators are liars.
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