September 11, 2007

Craig Files To Withdraw Guilty Plea

It's not over until the lawyers say so: Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, will appeal his guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct during a sex sting in a Minnesota airport restroom. His attorneys turned in the 50-page court filing in Minnesota's Hennepin County District Court yesterday.

According to the papers, Craig says he "panicked" at the thought of the story coming out in the media after he was arrested and "felt compelled to grasp the lifeline offered to him by the police officer, namely that if he were to submit to an interview and plead guilty, then none of the officer's allegations would be made public." Craig was stripped of his committee assignments and, under pressure from the GOP leadership, said he would resign effective Sept. 30.

The Gate has details on Craig's legal options, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the New York Times have more on yesterday's court filings.

Posted at 7:49 AM
Posted to: Congress, Larry Craig, Senate
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