LARRY CRAIG

'Larry Edwin Craig' (born July 20, 1945) is an American politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, he has been serving in the United States Senate since 1991. Previously he served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Idaho's 1st congressional district (1981–1991).^[2] Including his service in the House of Representatives, Craig is the second-longest serving member of the United States Congress in Idaho history, trailing only William Edgar Borah. In addition to serving in Congress, Craig has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association since 1983.^[3]
On August 27 2007 the Capitol Hill newspaper ''Roll Call'' revealed that Craig had been arrested for lewd conduct in a men's bathroom on June 11 2007, and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct on August 8 2007.^[4] As a result of the controversy surrounding his arrest and subsequent guilty plea, Senator Craig announced his intention to resign from the Senate at a news conference on September 1, 2007, which was to become effective on September 30 2007. On September 4 2007, a spokesperson for Senator Craig indicated that he may be reconsidering his decision to resign,^[5] if his conviction is rapidly overturned and his committee assignments are restored.^[6]

Contents

Early life and family

Political career

U.S. Senate

Controversy

Early 1980s

June 2007 airport arrest and guilty plea

Arrest, plea and allegations about prior conduct become public

Responses to the arrest and plea information

Resignation announcement

Constitutionality of arrest

References

External links

Early life and family

Craig was born in Council, Idaho, to Dorothy Lenore McCord and Elvin Oren Craig.^[7] He grew up on a ranch outside Midvale in Washington County. In July 1961, he received his first press mention as part of a United Nations' Youth Pilgrimage Tour, a traveling group of 35 teenagers and adults.^[8] In 1969 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Idaho. At the University of Idaho he was student body president and a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He pursued graduate studies at George Washington University before returning to his family's Midvale ranching business in 1971. Craig was a member of the Idaho Army National Guard from 1970 to 1972, attaining the rank of Private First Class (E3)^[9], after which he received an honorable discharge. Men's room arrest reopens questions about Sen. Larry Craig
Craig married Suzanne Thompson in 1983 and adopted the three children she had from a previous marriage.^[10] Through his adopted children, Craig has nine grandchildren.^[11]

Political career

Craig was elected to the Idaho Senate in 1974 and reelected in 1976 and 1978.
In 1980, Craig was elected to an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district. He succeeded Republican Steve Symms, who left the House and was elected to the Senate after defeating liberal Democrat Frank Church. Craig was re-elected four times, serving until 1991. While in the House, he supported President Ronald Reagan's push to expand vocational education. Craig served on the House Ethics Committee. In 1989 Craig was reported to have led an extended effort that pushed for more severe punishment of Representantive Barney Frank for his involvement in a gay prostitution scandal.^[12][13]

U.S. Senate

Craig announced his candidacy for the 1990 Senate election for the seat vacated by the retiring James A. McClure. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones in the Republican primary. In the general election he defeated Democratic former Idaho Legislature member Ron J. Twilegar with 57 percent of the vote.
Craig was reelected in 1996, again with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Walt Minnick. He was reelected again in the 2002 election with 65 percent of the vote, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat Alan Blinken.
In 1999, Craig became sharply critical of U.S. President Bill Clinton for his sex incident with a White House intern. Speaking on NBC's ''Meet The Press'', Craig told Tim Russert: "The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy - a naughty boy. I’m going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy.”
Craig served as Senate Republican Policy Committee chairman from 1997 until 2003.² During this time, he exposed Clinton Administration support for Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[14] He then became chairman of the Special Committee on Aging. After the Democrats gained control of the Senate in 2006, Craig became the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He served as the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Amidst the controversy surrounding an arrest and guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct, Craig temporarily stepped aside as ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and two subcommittees in August 2007.^[15]
Craig is a long-time, leading advocate for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution.^[16]
In May 2003, Craig put a hold on more than 200 Air Force promotions in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new C-130 cargo planes in Idaho, claiming he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered. Defense Department officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the Idaho Air National Guard unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.^[17]
Craig is a supporter of the guest worker program proposed by President George W. Bush. In April 2005, Craig tried to amend an Iraq War supplemental bill with an AgJOBS amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and one million illegal immigrants in farm work. The amendment failed with 53 votes (60 votes were needed because the amendment was not germane to the underlying bill).^[18] A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006. Craig, the principal sponsor of AgJOBS, continues to support amnesty for illegal immigrants who are "trusted workers with a significant work history in American agriculture."^[19] This position has been sharply criticized by anti-immigration activists.^[20] On June 26, 2007, Craig once again reiterated his support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.
In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned after Hurricane Katrina had hit and was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that "Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of Louisiana as well."^[21]
On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a cloture motion filed relative to the USA PATRIOT Act; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic filibuster against extension of the act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was permitted to continue.^[22] On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place.^[23] On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement among himself, the White House, and fellow Senators John E. Sununu, Arlen Specter, Lisa Murkowski, Chuck Hagel, and Richard Durbin to reauthorize the Act.^[24]
In 2006, Craig posted to his Senate website^[25] all the earmarks he had inserted into federal spending bills since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1998.
The American Conservative Union rated Craig's 2005 voting record at 96 out of 100 points, while the Americans for Democratic Action rated him at 15 points. As a social conservative, Craig has long been an advocate of adoption. Craig supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which barred extension of rights to same-sex couples; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006. However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex civil unions, but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-LGBT group Families for a Better Idaho.^[26] Craig voted against cloture in 2002, which would have extended the federal definition of hate crimes to cover sexual orientation.^[27] This legislation was passed in 2007 in the House as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, and it awaits Senate action at this time. The LGBT advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign, issued guides to candidates' voting records in 2004. The Human Rights Campaign group gave him a 0 rating.barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators with Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and James Jeffords.^[28]
Prior to the nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior in March 2006.^[29]

Controversy

Early 1980s

Allegations of cocaine use and sex with male teenage congressional pages by unnamed congressmen were pursued by investigators and journalists in 1982.^[30] Craig issued a statement denying involvement.^[31] Craig stated "Persons who are unmarried as I am, by choice or by circumstance, have always been the subject of innuendos, gossip and false accusations. I think this is despicable."

June 2007 airport arrest and guilty plea

On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of lewd conduct. The nature of the alleged activity has been categorized by some as cottaging.^[33] 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.^[34]

According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court,^[35][36][37] 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 to 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.
After the arresting officer read to 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?" 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.
Craig explained the movement of his foot by saying "that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched [the foot of the arresting officer]." 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 that "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.
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.^[38]
Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct by signing and mailing a plea petition, dated August 1 2007, to the District Court in Hennepin County, Minnesota.^[39][40] He paid $575, 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," and "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 plea guilty to the misdemeanor charge was accepted and filed by the court on August 8 2007.

Arrest, plea and allegations about prior conduct become public

On August 27, 2007 ''Roll Call'' broke the story to reveal details about Senator Craig's arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and his subsequent guilty plea in that case.^[41] After the conviction came to light, the ''Idaho Statesman'' published a story on August 28, 2007 about three allegations involving the sexual conduct of Senator Craig. 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." In the second reported incident, a man, who identified himself as gay, told a reporter that Craig cruised him at the R.E.I. store in Boise in November 1994, following him around the store for half an hour. The last reported incident to the ''Idaho Statesman'' about Senator Craig's conduct came from a professional 40-year-old man with close ties to Republican officials. According to the man's story about the encounter with Senator Craig, the man "reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004." A reporter for the ''Idaho Statesman'' interviewed Craig on May 14 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!"

Responses to the arrest and plea information

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."^[42] In an August 28 2007 press conference 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 claimed that his state of mind was troubled at the time of the guilty plea because he and his family "have been relentlessly and viciously harassed" by the ''Idaho Statesman'' newspaper in the course of its investigation into allegations of Craig's homosexuality. That investigation resulted in an article published August 28, 2007. On August 30, the ''Statesman'' called for Craig's resignation.^[43] 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, Senator Craig denied wrongdoing and claimed that he was a victim of entrapment.^[44][45]
Craig was one of two Senate liaisons for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, stating: "Knowing Governor Mitt Romney is knowing somebody who first and foremost has very strong family values. That's something I grew up with and believe in."^[46] Craig removed himself from that campaign role after the conviction became public.^[47] Mitt Romney said of Craig, "He's disappointed the American people."^[48]
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 by engaging in disorderly conduct.⁴⁸ Members of the GOP in Congress began calling for Craig to resign, including Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-MI),^[49] Senator John McCain (R-AZ),^[50] and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN).⁴⁹ Coleman and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced that they will donate campaign contributions received from Craig's political action committee to charity.^[51]
Senate GOP leaders including Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Trent Lott (R-MS) asked Craig to "temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests." Craig subsequently agreed to step down from those posts as the ranking Minority member.^[52] Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, issued a statement condemning the senator's actions.^[53]

Resignation announcement

At a news conference on September 1 2007, Craig officially announced his intent to resign, "with sadness and deep regret", effective September 30 2007. Once the seat is vacant, Republican Idaho Governor Butch Otter will appoint an interim Senator to serve until the 2008 election.^[54] Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch has been named by some sources as the person Otter will appoint.^[55]
On September 4 2007, a spokesperson for Craig suggested that he may be reconsidering his decision to resign and pursue legal remedies to clear his name. The spokesperson indicated that Craig plans to to reverse his plea deal and face a trial. During a telephone call to Craig, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) encouraged him to wage a fight to retain his seat, which also played a role in Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation from the U.S. Senate.⁵⁶

Constitutionality of arrest

Under the Speech or Debate Clause, as expressed in Article I, Section 6, clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives "shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."^[56] According to Billy Martin, an attorney for Craig, the airport arrest "raises very serious constitutional questions." Because Craig was traveling to Washington, D.C. from the Minneapolis airport on the day of his arrest to vote on a high-profile cloture motion on the Senate floor, Craig may raise a defense based on this clause to overturn his plea agreement.^[57]

References

1. Senator Larry E. Craig
2. CRAIG, Larry Edwin - Biographical Information
3. NRA 2007 Official Ballot, up for re-election of a three year term
4. Idaho Senator Says He Regrets Guilty Plea in Restroom Incident Patti Murphy
5. Sen. Craig may not resign, spokesman says. MSNBC. Retrieved on September 5, 2007.
6. Craig aide says he's likely to leave Charles Babington
7. Genealogy of Larry Edwin Craig
8. Larry Craig
9. Veterans in the US Senate 109th Congress
10. Associated Press Election Coverage, October 18, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-18
11. Larry Craig, US Senator from Idaho: Official Biography
12. "What to do about Barney Frank // Congress faces nasty confrontation on handling sexual misconduct", Rowland Evans, Robert Novak. ''Austin American Statesman''. Austin, Tex.: Oct 17, 1989. pg. A.8 ''Word spread through the GOP cloakroom that Rep. Larry Craig of Idaho was standing firm inside the Ethics Committee. ''
13. "Frank reprimanded for aiding prostitute" Elaine S. Povich, ''Chicago Tribune'' Chicago, Ill.: Jul 27, 1990. pg. 4 ''The ethics committee, officially known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, had unanimously recommended that Frank be reprimanded and Frank did not contest the charge. But the committee was severely split, took months to make up its mind on the punishment, and during the vote Thursday three GOP members of the panel-Reps. Thomas Petri of Wisconsin, Larry Craig of Idaho and Jim Hansen of Utah-voted for censure, the more severe sanction.''
14. Clinton-Approved Iranian Arms Transfers Help Turn Bosnia into Militant Islamic Base
15. Craig stripped of party leadership on Senate committees
16. CNN ''All Politics''/
17. Idaho senator holds up Air Force promotions: Dispute over cargo planes at issue
18. ''San Diego Tribune'' ''Legal status for undocumented farmworkers fails'' April 20, 2005
19. Putting our Immigration Policies to work
20. Vasquez will challenge Craig in 2008
21. Senator: LA is as Corrupt as Iraq
22. CNN.com ''Patriot Act renewal fails in Senate.'' December 17, 2005.
23. USA TODAY ''Senate strikes deal to extend Patriot Act'', December 21, 2005.
24. CBS News ''Agreement Reached on Patriot Act Changes'', February 10, 2006.
25. [1]
26. Craig Clarifies: 'Yes' on Marriage Amendment
27. Senate: Roll Call
28. Wired News ''They Put the Party in GOP'' 19 April, 2000.
29. Red Orbit ''Kempthorne, Craig Could Be Nominees'', March 11, 2006.
30. [2]
31. "AUTHORITIES MEET ON CAPITOL SEX AND DRUG INQUIRY" ROBERT PEAR, ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Jul 8, 1982. pg. B.9
32. According to the police report and its supplement and the criminal complaint, Senator Craig was charged originally with offenses under the Minnesota State Statute section 609.746, subd.1(c) (interference with privacy, a gross misdemeanor) and section 609.72, subd.1(3) (disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor). Lewd conduct - supplement by #4211: Report of Sgt. Dave Karsnia #4211, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. (June 22 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007. ''See also'' Complaint in ''Minnesota v. Craig'', Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
33. Hitchens, C. (September 1 2007). So many men's rooms, so little time: Why men like Larry Craig continue to court danger in public places. ''Slate Magazine''. Retrieved on September 1, 2007.
34. Lewd conduct: Report of Sgt. Dave Karsnia #4211, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. (June 12 2007). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on August 28, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing). ''See also'' U.S. senator gets flushed: Republican Larry Craig sought Minnesota airport toilet tryst. (August 28 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
35. Transcript: Audio interview of Sen. Larry Craig. (August 30 2007). ''Fox News'' Retrieved on September 5, 2007.
36. Offense/incident/arrest report, OCA number 07002008: Larry Edwin Craig. (June 11 2007). Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
37. Complaint in ''Minnesota v. Craig'', Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
38. Craig insists "I am not gay," police say he sought information for lawyer." (2007-08-28). ''The Idaho Statesman''. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
39. ''Minnesota v. Craig'', Case No. 07043231. Petition to enter plea of guilty-misdemeanor (D.C. Minn., August 8, 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
40. Idaho senator fined for lewd behavior at Minneapolis airport
41. Craig Arrested, Pleads Guilty Following Incident in Airport Restroom but Says He Did Nothing Wrong McArdle John
42. Craig Statement on ''Roll Call'' Story. Press release. August 27 2007. Office of Senator Larry Craig.
43. Our View: Craig Must Resign
44. Audio of Craig arrest reveals new details
45. Full transcript of the police interrogation, FOX News, August 30, 2007.
46. Larry Craig Swears By Mitt Romney
47. Lewd conduct charge puts GOP Sen. Larry Craig's political future in doubt. (August 28 2007). FOX News. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.
48. Sen. Craig denies sex charge, says 'I am not gay'
49. GOP senators say Craig should resign David Espo
50. Republican senators: Sen. Craig should resign
51. Coleman, Collins donating Craig contribution to charity ''Boston Herald'', 30 August 2007
52. Craig steps down from top committee posts
53. Log Cabin Questions Senator Craig’s Ability to Continue Serving
54. Craig Resigns After Sex Scandal
55. GOP officials: Craig to resign Saturday
56. Constitution of the United States. The National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved on September 6, 2007.
57. Farah, J. (September 5 2007). Flush to judgment: U.S. Constitution could clear Craig - Senators not subject to arrest while traveling to, from sessions of Congress. ''WorldNetDaily''. Retrieved on September 5, 2007.

External links

★ United States Senator Larry Craig, Senate site

★

★ Federal Election Commission — Larry E. Craig campaign finance reports and data

★ New York Times — Larry E. Craig News collected news and commentary

★ On the Issues — Larry Craig issue positions and quotes

★ OpenSecrets.org — Larry Craig campaign contributions

★

★ SourceWatch Congresspedia — Larry Craig profile

★ ''Idaho Statesman'' study of Craig

★ The Smoking Gun — ''Minnesota v. Larry Edwin Craig'', Case No. 07043231: Police interview (audio and transcript), police report, criminal complaint and plea agreement