Prosecutor: Restless Leg Syndrome Craig is 'politicking'

From Yahoo News:


MINNEAPOLIS - Sen. Larry Craig is only trying to get out of his guilty plea in an airport sex sting because he doesn't like the political consequences, a prosecutor wrote in court papers filed Monday.

Craig, R-Idaho, has asked to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he was panicked into admitting to a crime he did not commit. A judge is set to hear the matter on Wednesday.

Craig pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct last month after an undercover officer at the Minneapolis airport alleged that Craig solicited him for sex. The senator has contended in recent weeks that he had done nothing wrong and said his only mistake was pleading guilty.

Airport prosecutor Christopher Renz wrote in court papers Monday that Craig had plenty of time between his June 11 arrest and Aug. 1, when he signed a plea petition, to think about the consequences of pleading guilty and whether he had actually committed a crime in the airport bathroom.

Craig's arrest and guilty plea weren't reported in the news media until Aug. 27. On Sept. 1, Craig announced plans to resign by Sept. 30. He later suggested he might stay in the Senate if he could successfully overturn his plea.

Denying Craig's motion "prevents further politicking and game playing on the part of the defendant in relation to his plea," Renz wrote.

Renz wrote that Craig didn't decide to withdraw his plea until after he was hurt by the publicity of the allegations.

Craig clearly "had hoped that he could plead guilty and that the plea would not be discovered by the media or public," Renz wrote. "The defendant chose to plead guilty and consciously took that risk. The defendant's current pursuit of withdrawal of his guilty plea is reactionary, calculated and political."

Renz warned of a "deluge" of defendants who would ask to withdraw guilty pleas if Craig succeeds. The prosecutor said his office was contacted by a defendant trying to withdraw his plea after Craig announced that he regretted pleading guilty.

The court papers detail several phone calls between Craig and Renz as the case proceeded. On one call on July 17 Renz wrote that he told Craig he should seek an attorney's advice.

Craig never appeared "to have a tone or sense of urgency, panic or overt emotion," Renz wrote in an affidavit.