8 Men Claim Encounters With Craig

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BOISE, Idaho — Eight men say they either had sex with Senator Craig or were targets of sexual advances by the Idaho Republican at various times during his political career, a newspaper reported yesterday.

One of the men is the former escort whose allegations disgraced the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Reverend Ted Haggard, the Idaho Statesman reported.

The newspaper identified four men and reported details of the encounters they say involved Mr. Craig. It also reported the accounts of four other men who did not agree to be identified but who described sexual advances or encounters involving the conservative Republican.

Mr. Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being accused by an undercover officer of soliciting sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and later called a news conference to deny that he is gay.

The newspaper acknowledged that its report was not based on definitive evidence. However, it said its investigation, including a review of travel and property records and background checks, found no evidence to disprove the accounts of the four identified men. Mr. Craig and members of his staff declined to comment to the newspaper. But in a statement sent by e-mail to the Associated Press yesterday, the senator said the newspaper’s report was “completely false,” and he accused the paper of careless journalism.

“It is unfortunate that the Idaho Statesman has chosen to continue to lower itself to the standards of what can best be described as tabloid journalism,” Mr. Craig said in the statement.

“Despite the fact the Idaho Statesman has decided to pursue its own agenda and print these falsehoods without any facts to back them up, I won’t let this paper’s attempt to malign my name stop me from continuing my work to serve the people of Idaho.”

The report is the Statesman’s latest on allegations about Mr. Craig’s sexual background since his June arrest in an airport men’s room sex sting operation was reported in late August.


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