A Senate career ends after a Minneapolis airport bathroom sting
In short: After nearly two decades in the U.S. Senate, Idaho Republican Larry Craig faced a sudden downfall. An undercover police operation in a Minneapolis airport restroom led to an arrest that forced his party to distance itself from the veteran lawmaker to protect their own political futures.
In June 2007, Senator Larry Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport following an undercover sting operation. Police were investigating complaints of lewd behavior in the men's restroom. According to an incident report, an officer sat in a stall for approximately 13 minutes before observing Craig lingering outside and peeking through the door crack. The officer noted Craig tapped his foot—a signal used by those seeking lewd conduct—and moved his foot to touch the side of the officer's foot through the stall divider.
Initially, Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in August 2007, but later attempted to withdraw the plea, claiming he had only pleaded guilty to avoid media attention. Despite his insistence that he is not gay, the scandal caused his fellow Republicans to ostracize him. Party leaders feared the incident would damage their re-election prospects, especially following other recent Republican scandals involving Mark Foley and Senator David Vitter.
The political fallout was swift. Republican leaders stripped Craig of his leadership duties and called for a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. On September 1, 2007, Craig announced his intention to resign, effective September 30, to avoid becoming a distraction to the Senate's work on issues like the war in Iraq. While he initially intended to step down, he later released a statement on October 4 indicating he would not resign, eventually serving out his term until it expired in January 2009.
The scandal effectively ended Craig's political career. He did not seek re-election in 2008. During his career, the conservative Republican had been a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Resigns Amid Sex Scandal
- Also: Larry Craig scandal
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