WASHINGTON – Lawyers for
Sen. Larry Craig asked the Senate
ethics committee Wednesday to
reject a complaint based on the
Idaho Republican’s guilty plea in a
police undercover operation in an
airport men’s room, saying the events
were “wholly unrelated” to official
duties.
“Assertion of jurisdiction over this
matter by the committee would be
literally unprecedented and would
create deleterious consequences for
the Senate as a whole,” the lawyers
wrote.
The letter was hand-delivered to
the ethics committee hours after
Craig served notice that he was
reconsidering his weekend pledge to
resign his seat.
Craig pleaded guilty last month
to a charge of disorderly conduct
following his arrest by an undercover
police officer stationed in the airport
men’s room who said the senator had
behaved like a man soliciting sex.
Craig subsequently denied guilt.
Republican leaders publicly and
privately pressured Craig to resign,
and made it clear they considered the
episode closed.
But his spokesman threw doubt on
that pledge Tuesday night. “We’re still
preparing as if Sen. Craig will resign Sept.
30, but the outcome of the legal case in
Minnesota and the ethics investigation
will have an impact on whether we’re
able to stay in the fight – and stay in the
Senate,” Sidney Smith said.