Our nation’s capital was abuzz last week with the revelation that Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) was caught by police earlier this summer attempting to solicit sex in a Minneapolis International Airport bathroom. According to the police report, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, who was investigating allegations of illicit sexual activity in the airport men’s room, entered a bathroom stall on June 11.

The Larry Craig Scandal

Minutes later, Senator Craig entered the bathroom, peeked at Karsnia through the crack between the stall door and frame for a couple of minutes, and then entered an adjacent stall. The senator then began to “send signals” to Karsnia that he wanted to engage in sexual activity.

According to The Associated Press, “The officer said Craig tapped his right foot, ‘a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. ... [Craig] moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then passed his left hand under the stall divider into [the police officer’s] stall with his palm up and guided it along the divider toward the front of the stall three times…”

When the officer showed Craig his police identification under the divider and pointed toward the exit, the senator reportedly exclaimed 'No!'” When asked to produce identification, Craig presented police his U.S. Senate business card and said, “What do you think of that?” The power play didn’t work. He was arrested and charged.

In an odd press conference on Wednesday of last week, Craig vehemently asserted his innocence, which is a particularly hard sell, considering that he already pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge on Aug. 8. (Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed.)

I don’t know anyone who is buying the senator’s feeble explanation that he “takes a wide stance” when visiting the rest room. Nor does anyone believe the senator, who has been crafting legislation for three decades, pleaded guilty because he misunderstood his rights. Not even members of his own party. Republican leaders have already requested a Senate ethics probe in the matter.

Senator Craig admittedly engaged in illegal activity that brings serious disrepute to the public office he holds. He resigned and rightly so. For years, the low standards for corrupt behavior in Washington was were set by Bill and Hillary Clinton. Republicans, with this and other scandals, are doing a frighteningly good job of competing with the Clinton Democrats for pervasive corruption.

Tom Fitton is President of Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan educational foundation that fights government corruption.