Senator Larry Craig's Motion To Withdraw Guilty Plea Rejected
(RTTNews) - Senator Larry Craig's motion to withdraw his Aug. 8 guilty
plea
in an airport sex scandal has been rejected by Hennepin County District
Judge Charles Porter on Thursday, hindering the Republican's efforts to
clear his name and protect his Senate seat.
Judge Charles Porter denied Craig's motion because the plea was "accurate,
voluntary and intelligent," and the conviction was "supported by the
evidence," the AP reported.
The court's ruling has put the Idaho senator in a fix as to whether to
continue in office or not. Craig, who offered to resign when the charges
first surfaced, reversed his decision by saying that he would stay at
least
until he found out whether he could withdraw his plea to a misdemeanor
charge of disorderly conduct.
It is not clear if Craig will appeal the ruling.
Craig has maintained his innocence in the alleged incident in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport bathroom on June 11, stating
that
his actions were misinterpreted by the police officer who arrested him.
no "do over" for Senator Craig... judge rules against Craig
Porter rejected Craig's statement that he pleaded guilty under pressure
from
the police.
Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said
the ruling continues to hold Senator Craig accountable for his conduct.
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