Posted on 06/24/2010 10:51:08 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Yes, I know that few political figures on the Left are more disliked than Al Gore, for a number of reasons, not least of which is the ingracious and destructive campaign Gore launched in Florida that has colored American politics ever since. He also routinely blasted the Bush administration on the war while demanding action on climate change, and at the same time fattened his own pocketbook and lived a carbon-emission-rich lifestyle. He’s not a terribly likable figure, but at the same time, this seems very suspicious to me:
Former Vice President Al Gore was accused of “unwanted sexual contact” by a massage therapist in 2006, law enforcement officials said Wednesday, noting that no charges were filed.
In a written statement, the Portland police said “the case was not investigated any further because detectives concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations.”
The statement followed a report in the National Enquirer, which broke the story, and then in the Portland Oregonian, which had earlier decided not to publish it because it could not document it.
Essentially, the story is that Gore wanted a “happy ending” with his massage in 2006, and his legitimate masseuse refused to give it. She alleges that Gore grabbed her hand and attempted to get his game on, and that he became verbally abusive when she refused. There were no witnesses to this incident, which at best makes for a “he said, she said” case, even at that time.
This story began floating to the surface earlier this week, and I’ve been getting e-mail about it since yesterday. The story looks very suspicious, for a couple of reasons. According to the police, the woman reported the incident at the time but refused to press charges, apparently unwilling to be named in the press and get attacked for her accusation. Now, several years later, she returned because she wanted to take the case to the media. That hardly instills confidence in the credibility of the accuser.
Perhaps the story is true, and Gore did assault the masseuse. However, I’d put a lot more stock in the accusation had she gone to a legitimate news organization rather than the National Enquirer (like the Oregonian, which asked her to come forward earlier), revealed her name, and publicly stood by the accusation, instead of hiding for four years only to sell the story to a tabloid. As much as I dislike Al Gore politically, this looks like a smear job.
So does Jerry Weintraub's mistress -- Jerry tells the story that he was having an affair with the woman, fell in love, when he asked his wife for a divorce, she said she didn't want to go through all the lawyer-baloney, they separated, he moved in with the mistress who has since become best friends with the wife, they're shopping buddies, she's been a step-mom to the kids, etc. Sorry, Laurie, "part of my family" is no denial any more.
Perhaps she’s coming forward now because it’s more likely she will be believed, given that algore has been recently busted for cheating.
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“The woman told police she was caught in “a perfect storm” in a room with someone who was “Teflon-coated in terms of his credibility and celebrity status” — and said she feared simply running away, screaming, as she might be shot or Tasered by a security detail. She also felt nobody would believe that she was the one being accosted — and that her reputation could be ruined by a word from Gore.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/24/massage-therapist-claims-gore-groped/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Text+-+Politics%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo
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“Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk said Wednesday an attorney representing the woman contacted police in late 2006. Schrunk said the woman refused to be interviewed by detectives and didn’t want the investigation to continue.
But the woman contacted police in January 2009 and gave a statement, saying Gore tried to have sex with her during a massage appointment at the upscale downtown Hotel Lucia. Gore reportedly was registered at the hotel as “Mr. Stone.”...”
“The sexual assault allegations emerged Wednesday, just weeks after 62-year-old Gore’s shock separation from wife Tipper.”
Actually, based on what I just posted, she went to the police again in Jan 2009. So it couldn’t have been the recent Gore affair that prompted her.
I may have to wait for other stories, comments — as of now, all I’ve seen is the “she returned to take her case to the media” line, perhaps some other journo will wonder further than this yahoo. Thanks.
Police report here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33474958/Portland-Police-Bureau-2009-investigative-report-on-Al-Gore-incident
If this report is true, Tipper will be able to buy lots of poodles with beautiful diamond collars.
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