Posted on 08/27/2007 2:14:41 PM PDT by Shermy
Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.
Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.
A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.
After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report states.
Craig was detained for approximately 45 minutes, interviewed, photographed, fingerprinted and released, and police prepared a formal complaint for interference with privacy and disorderly conduct.
According to the incident report, Sgt. Dave Karsnia was working as a plainclothes officer on June 11 investigating civilian complaints regarding sexual activity in the men’s public restroom in which Craig was arrested.
Airport police previously had made numerous arrests in the men’s restroom of the Northstar Crossing in the Lindbergh Terminal in connection with sexual activity.
Karsnia entered the bathroom at noon that day and about 13 minutes after taking a seat in a stall, he stated he could see “an older white male with grey hair standing outside my stall.”
The man, who lingered in front of the stall for two minutes, was later identified as Craig.
“I could see Craig look through the crack in the door from his position. Craig would look down at his hands, ‘fidget’ with his fingers, and then look through the crack into my stall again. Craig would repeat this cycle for about two minutes,” the report states.
Craig then entered the stall next to Karsnia’s and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door.
“My experience has shown that individuals engaging in lewd conduct use their bags to block the view from the front of their stall,” Karsnia stated in his report. “From my seated position, I could observe the shoes and ankles of Craig seated to the left of me.”
Craig was wearing dress pants with black dress shoes.
“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. I moved my foot up and down slowly. While this was occurring, the male in the stall to my right was still present. I could hear several unknown persons in the restroom that appeared to use the restroom for its intended use. 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,” the report states.
Craig then proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times, and Karsnia noted in his report that “I could ... see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider.”
Karsnia then held his police identification down by the floor so that Craig could see it.
“With my left hand near the floor, I pointed towards the exit. Craig responded, ‘No!’ I again pointed towards the exit. Craig exited the stall with his roller bags without flushing the toilet. ... Craig said he would not go. I told Craig that he was under arrest, he had to go, and that I didn’t want to make a scene. Craig then left the restroom.”
In a recorded interview after his arrest, Craig “either disagreed with me or ‘didn’t recall’ the events as they happened,” the report states.
Craig stated “that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine,” the report states. Craig also told the arresting officer that he reached down with his right hand to pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor.
“It should be noted that there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper,” the arresting officer said in the report.
On Aug. 8, the day he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the Minnesota court, Craig appeared via satellite at a ceremony that took place in Idaho in which former Idaho federal Judge Randy Smith was invested into his new position as a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In October 2006, Craig’s office publicly denied allegations that he was a homosexual made on a gay activist Web site — blogactive.com. Craig’s office told the Spokane Spokesman-Review that the charge was “completely ridiculous,” saying that the allegations had “no basis in fact.”
Steven T. Dennis contributed to this report.
Well, it may not be main stream yet, but it was mentioned briefly by Brit Hume on Fox News tonight. He referenced the source as Roll Call.
It says on Wikipedia that his kids are all adopted, they are all his wifes kids.
To those “in the know”......
What kind of sex can one get in a crowded public restroom by reaching under a stall wall?
Those zany sodomites! haw haw - That sure is an example of normal activity... Why, they’re just like heterosexuals, except for all the diseases, dozens of partners each year, and anonymous sex in public bathrooms. I don’t see a reason for them not to marry.
I remember him from when he was YAF Chairman during the Goldwater campaign. At the same time Congressman Buz Lukens was the YR chairman. Great minds run in the same circles, hmm?!?
One thing is for sure: the LameStream Media will love exploiting this story.
I don't think that is the kind of hooker he would have been looking for.
It's always difficult to avoid unintentional double entendres when discussing these type of stories. :)
It could be a college ring or something like that worn on his right hand.
We need to all give ‘em all pictures of a naked Ricky Martin and the overnight postage stamp test.
OMG!!! Where’s his picture???
Gross. Can’t these guys keep it behind closed doors? Why would this Senator take the risk?? I have long thought that the US Senate is the home of perverts...Lindsey Graham and now Larry Craig come to mind. And Hillary is a “carpet muncher”.
Craig reportedly pleaded guilty to "disorderly conduct."
According to Roll Call:
Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.
Ya gotta wonder how much a guy gets paid to sit around in public bathrooms waiting, just waiting. Do these undercover guys groan every sooften or whistle while they are sitting there?
I’m fed up with the whole retaliation syndrome. But even moreso, I’ve had enough of both sides closing ranks and protecting each other’s bad behavior.
Why can’t we get anyone decent in public office? Is it because the salaries are only attractive to those who augment it with either illicit money or illicit “perks?”
Recently a local pol was arrested for the 'same thing'...at a public park bathroom...
The guy 'supposedly' had a good reputation, was married, had kids, blah blah blah...
..and now his picture is in the paper for soliciting another guy.
I don't want to think what kind of diseases Craig, this guy and others are bringing home to their wives....
This is beyond disgusting....it is vile!
It was just on one of the MSM evening news broadcasts a minute ago - and it was buckhead that broke rathergate.
Don't be too sure. At Craig's last election, a Democratic nobody got something like 35% of the vote.
I didn't vote for Craig. I've been annoyed with his support of illegal aliens for years.
Given the political atmosphere in Boise, this might be the most fun for the local papers since Brent Coles (ex-mayor of Boise) was charging personal expenses to city funds and got caught dining twice at a Florida restaurant known as a gay hangout.
Right now, with an evenly divided Senate and gerrymandering in the House, picking off an opponent or two is the only way to tilt the balance of power.
-PJ
Yeah, the wife thing. That’s a whole other dynamic. Some stay for the status and probably don’t even sleep in the same house.
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