Former Senator Larry Craig has ceased efforts to appeal his criminal conviction for disorderly conduct, stemming from a 2007 sex sting at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. His lawyer stated that further appeals to the Minnesota Supreme Court would be a "futile exercise."

Legal Proceedings Conclude

On January 8, 2009, Minneapolis attorney Tom Kelly, representing former Idaho Senator Larry Craig, announced that they would not petition the Minnesota Supreme Court to review Craig's conviction. Kelly stated that they concluded the state Supreme Court would not accept a petition for further review, rendering such an action futile. This decision marks the end of the legal proceedings in the case.

Thursday, January 8, 2009, was the 30-day deadline for Craig to request the high court to review a Minnesota Court of Appeals decision that had gone against him. The Associated Press reported on this development on January 8, 2009, at 10:41 AM EST.

Craig, a Republican from Idaho, was arrested on June 11, 2007, by an undercover police officer. The officer was conducting a sting operation targeting men cruising for gay sex in a men's restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge on August 8, 2007, and paid a fine. A soliciting charge was dropped.

Following the public disclosure of his arrest, Craig changed his position, insisting on his innocence and denying he was gay. He subsequently sought to withdraw his guilty plea. On January 8, 2008, lawyers for Senator Craig asked a Minnesota appeals court to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea, citing a "grave procedural flaw." Craig argued that a state law related to his misdemeanor conviction was unconstitutional and that it was "manifestly unjust" not to allow him another chance to prove his innocence.

However, a state judge, Charles Porter, refused on October 4 to allow Craig to withdraw his earlier plea. Judge Porter ruled that the plea "was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and ... supported by the evidence."

Political Fallout and Senate Tenure

The controversy surrounding Craig's arrest and guilty plea led to significant political pressure from fellow Republicans. On September 1, 2007, Craig announced his intention to resign from the Senate, effective September 30. However, after his subsequent failed efforts to withdraw his guilty plea, he released an October 4 statement indicating that he would not resign. Craig remained in the Senate until his term expired in January 2009. He did not seek re-election in 2008, and the scandal effectively ended his political career.

Craig also faced a Senate ethics committee investigation regarding his actions after his arrest. Prior to this incident, Craig had served in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate from Idaho in 1990. As a conservative Republican, Craig had opposed same-sex marriage during his political career. He is married and has three adopted children.

Key Facts

  • Former Senator Larry Craig ceased efforts to appeal his criminal conviction on January 8, 2009.
  • Craig's lawyer, Tom Kelly, stated that appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court would be a "futile exercise."
  • Craig was arrested on June 11, 2007, in a sex sting at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
  • He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge on August 8, 2007.
  • A state judge refused to allow Craig to withdraw his guilty plea on October 4.
  • Craig did not seek re-election and remained in the Senate until his term expired in January 2009.