Senate Ethics Admonishes Craig

By Patrick O'Connor

(The Politico)  The Senate ethics committee officially admonished Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Wednesday, almost six months after the Republican was arrested in a Minneapolis airport restroom for lewd conduct.

In a letter signed by all six members of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the members affirmed the initial guilty plea that Craig signed after an undercover officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport arrested him in a men's room sting.

"The committee accepts as proven your guilty plea and all matter set forth in your guilty plea," the letter read.

In the official rule, the members also cast doubt on Craig's later pleas of innocence after the arrest report was unearthed.

"Your claims to the court, through counsel, to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty, do not appear credible," according to the letter.

In addition, members admonished Craig for trying to use the influence of his office to avoid arrest and failing to notify the committee that he had used his campaign funds to pay his legal fees, a violation of Senate rules.

"We consider your attempt to withdraw your guilty plea to be an attempt to evade the legal consequences of an action freely undertaken by you - that is, pleading guilty," according to the letter.

Committee members released the letter Wednesday as most lawmakers and reporters were headed to the annual Congressional Dinner.