Court To Determine If Ex-Sen.Craig’s(R-ID) Airport Bathroom Sexcapade Was Official Senate Business

[Purveyor]

A federal court is set to rule this week on whether ex-Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) broke the law when he appropriated $216,000 in campaign funds to defend himself against an arrest for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer in an airport bathroom. According to McClatchy Newspapers, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman’s ruling in the case could have far-reaching implications in terms of what politicians accused of wrongdoing are allowed to do in their own defense.

At issue is the question whether U.S. senator-turned-lobbyist Craig was on “official business,” as his lawyers contend, when on June 11, 2007, he stole up outside Minneapolis-St. Paul Police Sgt. Dave Karsnia’s toilet stall and began to peer through the crack in the stall door, fondling his wedding ring in a way that indicated that he was a married man in search of quick, anonymous sex with another man.

If the judge finds that Craig was acting in his official capacity as U.S. senator when he took the stall adjacent to Karsnia’s and began to tap his foot and reach under the stall door to touch the officer, then Craig will be found to have been within his rights when he plundered his campaign treasury in an effort to stay out of jail. His legal team has argued that elected officials have typically used campaign funds for legal matters when finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.

“It would certainly have application for any member of Congress, when they are trying to determine if they could use campaign funds for a legal defense,” Craig’s attorney, Andrew D. Herman, told McClatchy. “We are not asking for anything the FEC hasn’t granted before,” he said.

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/26/court-to-determine-if-craigs-airport-bathroom-sexcapade-was-official-senate-business/

[Angry Dragon]

1. So they are trying to say that it is part of a Senator's job to look for

sex in bathrooms ......... or is that just for republicans??

[patrice]

2. Huh? I thought taking a CRAP IS official REPUBLICAN STATEBUSINESS. A court for crap? or . . .

or was it piss, as in trickling down, another Republican monopoly.

[TwilightGardener]

3. I always wondered how Sen. WideStance happened to do this to an officer. Was there

some sort of entrapment going on? Hard to believe it was just random bad luck to pick the wrong guy to proposition.

[midwest irish]

4. entrapment?

Not sure about that. They have cops who patrol bathrooms in places like parks and airports because that is often where this stuff happens. A principal at a neighboring school district was arrested for propositioning a cop in the bathroom of a public park. I think this sort of sting operation is fairly common.

[TwilightGardener]

5. It can't be that common an occurrence, though--my husband is middle aged

and has never been "signaled at" or bothered in a public restroom, ever. I can't help but wonder if these undercover cops aren't trying to invite responses. Are they really just sitting in toilet stalls all day?

[midwest irish]

6. "Are they really just sitting in toilet stalls all day?"

You have a point there. I hadnt thought of it that way.

[jollyreaper2112]

7. ha

Or at least so he tells you!

Never seen it happen myself but I approach such matters with military efficiency. In and out, no hanging about.

I can understand having to resort to this before the internet but come on, it's the 21st century. If you want anonymous sexual hookups, can't you arrange it online or something?

Worked in a computer shop years back and was on friendly terms with the cops so they over-shared about their days. Didn't improve my impression of cops much. One cop would complain when he was put on "fag patrol," their department's term for public washroom inspection, another cop bragged about helping the FBI entrap a guy in a major export violation case. Fun guys, cops.

[DJ13]

8. Was it an attempt to screw somone?

Then yes, it was official Senate business.

[yellowcanine]

9. Was he doing "bidness" in a snake filled room?