Sen. Craig Calls Case a 'Witch Hunt,' but Reporters Say Investigation Was Fair Game

Aug. 30, 2007 &#151 -- Is the pursuit of the story on Republican Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's sexuality a "witch hunt," as Craig called it? Is it muckraking? Is it a violation of his privacy? Or is it just good gumshoe reporting?

"It's not about outing gay people. It's about reporting hypocrisy," said Michael Rogers, the blogger who first reported nearly a year ago that Craig might be gay. Certainly Craig's arrest has raised questions not only about his actions, but also about the tactics of mainstream journalists and bloggers who were investigating the senator.

Defending himself to reporters Tuesday, Craig angrily denounced an investigation by the Idaho Statesman into his sexuality and said the probe was to blame for his decision to plead guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct.

"Without a shred of truth or evidence to the contrary, the Statesman has engaged in this witch hunt," a defiant Craig said. "In pleading guilty, I overreacted in Minneapolis, because of the stress of the Idaho Statesman's investigation and the rumors it has fueled around Idaho."

Most reporters and editors would agree that investigating a crime committed by a public figure is completely justified. But in the case of Craig and the Statesman, the inquiry occurred before there was any proof of wrongdoing.

After Rogers posted his blog entry, the Statesman launched a five-month investigation into whether Craig had solicited or engaged in sex with other men. It turned up some men who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Craig, but they turned out to be either not credible or would not allow their name to be printed for the story. The Statesman did not print its findings until this week, once the news broke that Craig had been arrested.

Some reporters and people who study journalism argue that an investigation into a politician's sexuality can be ethical because it pertains directly to policy questions involving everything from religion to gay marriage. Indeed, Craig was an opponent of gay marriage and a vocal advocate of the Republican Party's conservative family values agenda.

The newspaper's managing editor, Bill Manny, defended the investigation and the decision to withhold the story. In a statement today, Manny said the paper had "followed leads and asked questions. We worked hard and behaved responsibly, not publishing a story until it was ready. We didn't print anything until the senator pleaded guilty."