Cop accused Craig of lying after arrest

WASHINGTON — The police officer who arrested Sen. Larry Craig in an airport men's room accused the senator of lying to him during an interrogation afterward, according to an audiotape of the arrest.

On the tape, released Thursday by the Minneapolis Airport Police, the Idaho Republican in turn accused the officer of soliciting him for sex.

"I'm not gay. I don't do these kinds of things," Craig, 62, told Sgt. Dave Karsnia minutes after the two men met in a men's room at the airport June 11. Karsnia made the arrest as part of an undercover police operation.

"You shouldn't be out to entrap people," Craig told the officer. "I don't want you to take me to jail."

Karsnia replied that Craig wouldn't go to jail as long as he cooperated.

The two men disagreed about virtually everything that had occurred minutes earlier, including whether there was a piece of paper on the floor of the stall and the meaning of the senator's hand gestures. At no time did Craig admit doing anything wrong, although weeks later he pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

"You're not being truthful with me," Karsnia told Craig during the interrogation. "I'm kind of disappointed in you, senator."

Karsnia later told Craig he was "sitting here lying to a police officer."

Craig agreed to the police interview after being read his Miranda rights in the arrest for lewd conduct.

The disclosure of Craig's guilty plea earlier this month to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct has led to snowballing demands for his resignation from Republican ranks.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who chairs the GOP's senatorial campaign committee, stopped short of calling on Craig to resign but suggested strongly that he should.

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and several other Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have called for Craig to resign his seat. Coleman, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, each gave to charity $2,500 in campaign donations they had received from Craig's political-action committee.

Craig has agreed to give up his ranking status on the Veterans Affairs Committee and Appropriations subcommittees.

Craig said Tuesday he had committed no wrongdoing and shouldn't have pleaded guilty.

On the tape, Craig and the arresting officer can be heard arguing over what happened in the men's room minutes earlier. Craig acknowledges the men's feet bumped but says nothing improper happened.

"Did we bump? Yes, I think we did. You said so. I don't disagree with that," Craig said.

But Craig disputes the officer's account that he swept his hand under the stall next to him in an apparent effort to advance the encounter.

Craig said he was merely trying to pick up a piece of paper, which the officer disputes.

Karsnia, 29, was promoted to sergeant in 2005.

New York Daily News material is included in this report.