Sen. Larry Craig lost another bid Tuesday to clear his name from a sex-solicitation conviction as a Minnesota court rejected his appeal.
The state court of appeals upheld the conviction, rejecting an argument by Mr. Craig’s lawyer that the ruling should be overturned for lack of evidence and that Mr. Craig’s behavior in the bathroom stall did not amount to a crime.
“I disagree with their conclusion and remain steadfast in my belief that nothing criminal or improper occurred at the Minneapolis airport,” said Mr. Craig, Idaho Republican, who was busted in a sex sting at a men’s restroom at the the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in June 2007.
Undercover police arrested the senator after he made hand gestures under the divider between two bathroom stalls that police said were signals to solicit a sexual encounter. Mr. Craig mailed in a guilty plea rather than stand trial for the charge in an apparent attempt to avoid publicity of the case.
Mr. Craig, who bucked calls for his resignation but did not run for re-election this year, said he was disappointed by the decision from the three-judge panel.
“I maintain my innocence, and currently my attorneys and I are reviewing the decision and looking into the possibility of appealing,” he said. “I would like to thank all of those who have continued to support me and my family throughout this difficult time.”
Officials at the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, said they were pleased with the ruling and hope it finally ends the unpleasant episode.
“Today’s appellate court decision confirms once again that the guilty plea Sen. Larry Craig knowingly, accurately and voluntarily entered in August 2007 is just and binding,” commission spokesman Patrick Hogan said.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, a Republican, easily won the race to replace Mr. Craig in the Senate. He defeated Democrat Larry LaRocco 58 percent to 34 percent in the Nov. 4 election.
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