Two adult children of Republican senator Larry Craig, who announced his intention to resign after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with his arrest on sex charges said on Tuesday he had convinced them he is not gay. But White House strongly suggested that Craig should not reverse his decision to resign after pleading guilty in an airport bathroom sex sting. Spokeswoman Dana Perino declined to confirm media reports that Craig might be reconsidering his plan to leave his seat but stood by an earlier statement welcoming his decision to quit.
Son Michael Craig said they asked their father, about the June 11 incident at the Minneapolis-St Paul airport, which led to the Idaho Republican’s resignation under pressure last week after it became public, because “we were shocked” at media accounts of the incident, he said.
Craig, 62, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct following his arrest. The arresting officer said in his report that the restroom where he encountered Craig is a known location for homosexual activity.
In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, Michael Craig said his father was simply “a victim of circumstance” and “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
“We’ve known him our whole life. He has been so trustworthy to us, so honest to us, that we believe him,” said Michael Craig, 38. Larry Craig adopted Michael and his two siblings after marrying their mother, the former Suzanne Scott, in 1983. Craig has worked in the Senate to promote adoption.