Statesman Details More Gay Encounters For Larry Craig

(The Politico)  The Idaho Statesman reported a host of new allegations involving gay encounters by Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), raising additional questions about Craig's statements on his sexual orientation and credibility.

After Roll Call originally broke the story in August about Craig's arrest in the men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Idaho Republican announced he would resign from the Senate, although he appears now to be staying for the rest of the 110th Congress. Craig has appealed his misdemeanor guilty plea in the incident, and the Senate Ethics Committee is conducting its own probe of the case.

Following the intial report, The Statesman quickly revealed that it had done a months-long investigation into long-standing rumors about gay encounters by Craig, only to hold onto the story following an interview with Craig and his wife.

Today, The Statesman reporterd that four more men have stepped forward to publicly declare they had gay encounters, although some of these encouters allegedly took place more than 20 years ago.

One of the men, Mike Jones, claims that Craig paid him for sex in late 2004 or early 2005, according to The Statesman.

"Mike Jones is a former prostitute who told the world he had sex with the Rev. Ted Haggard last year," The Stateman reported. "The former Colorado Springs evangelist at first denied it but eventually confessed. Jones says Craig paid him for sex in late 2004 or early 2005."

An unidentified fifth man claimed he was approached by Craig in September 2006 in the Denver International Airport in a manner allegedly similar to that which lead to the Minneapolis arrest.

Craig did not make any comment to The Stateman regarding this latest story.