4um: Conservative Lawmaker: "I have not had sex with a guy"

mustache rides all around Washington (state) is abuzz this week with rumors that state Rep. Richard Curtis is involved in an extortion ring with a “reputed” male prostitute — in other words, Did he fuck a dude? Curtis is obviously a Republican with a socially conservative voting record, so allegations like these were sure to come out sometime. As was his predictable response: “I am not gay… I have not had sex with a guy.” Sure, but… DOES HE LIE?

Spokane, Washington’s Spokesman Review is all up in this, and reported the initial story Monday:

Details surrounding the case remained sketchy Sunday, but authorities confirmed that it involves two-term state Rep. Richard Curtis, a Republican from the small southwest Washington town of La Center, and that there was some type of confrontation last week at Davenport Tower. The identity of the alleged extortionist was unavailable, though police confirm he is a reputed prostitute.

Hmm. The leap between a “confrontation” with a male prostitute and an alleged “fuck” with a male prostitute still seems a bit hazy. We’ll play along though, since at the very least a history of intimate hand-holding appears to be involved:

A Spokane TV station, KREM, reported on its Web site that investigators said Curtis and the man had a sexual encounter and were seen together at various spots around the city.

The local police are being very fair and objective with the media — one department spokesperson noted that “Obviously there is some sort of relationship between the two of them.”

That’s all we needed to hear. Gay!

Alleged extortion of legislator probed [Spokesman Review]
Curtis denies sexual encounter [The Columbian]

#21. To: Crossdressing Republican Lawmaker Admits Sexual Encounter With Male Escort (#0)

Documents:

» Read the Spokane police report here. Warning: The contents are explicit (portions edited by police department).
» Read the search warrant documents. Warning: The contents are explicit.

State Rep. Richard Curtis, R-La Center

Cody Castagna pauses during a press conference Tuesday in Spokane. (JED CONKLIN/The Spokesman-Review)

State Rep. Richard Curtis, R-La Center, admitted to having sex with a man he met at an adult video store in Spokane last week, according to a police report released Tuesday afternoon.

The police report offers a far different version of events from the brief account Curtis gave Monday to The Columbian, one that seems likely to threaten Curtis' political future.

The report is filled with graphic details of an encounter that began at a porn store on a Spokane Valley strip and concluded miles away in Curtis' room at the city's poshest hotel.

The police report contains an account of how Curtis allegedly donned women's clothing, red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top before engaging in a sex act at the store. He then continued to wear them throughout the night under his clothing, the report says.

Spokane police have finished their investigation and referred the case to prosecutors for possible filing of extortion charges against Cody M. Castagna.

Castagna is a 26-year-old waiter from the Spokane area who allegedly tried to blackmail Curtis for $1,000 and threatened to reveal his "gay lifestyle" to the lawmaker's wife if he did not pay.

Curtis, 48, is married and has two daughters. The two-term legislator and retired fire department captain was in Spokane last week for a retreat with other Republican lawmakers in preparation for the 2008 Legislature.

During a brief phone interview with Columbian Editor Lou Brancaccio on Monday afternoon, Curtis said he did not have sex with the man and is not gay.

According to the police report, Curtis offered to pay $1,000 to have unprotected sex with Castagna.

"I feel that, honestly, I'm being wrongly accused and that (Curtis) is using his power to take it off of him and put it on me," Castagna said during a press conference Tuesday. "He has completely changed what actually happened and turned it around for his favor."

"He didn't make any threats against this guy (Curtis)," added Castanga's attorney, David Partovi. "This is an extremely low-level situation that's being blown out of proportion by somebody who is trying to save themselves."

Curtis did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday. He initially told police that he did not have sex with the man but later recanted, according to the police report. He also told police that he thought he might have been given some type of drug because his memory of the evening was hazy, the report says.

The report says that after the two men had sex, Castagna left the hotel room with Curtis' wallet. Curtis agreed to give the man $200, which he left at his hotel's desk, only to be confronted with a demand for an additional $800, the report says.

Spokane Police Detective Tim Madsen wrote in his report that Curtis wanted to keep the whole incident quiet. At one point, Madsen told Curtis that "the toothpaste was already out of the tube."

"Curtis told me he was just trying to put the cap back on the tube," Madsen wrote. "I told Curtis that the suspect may victimize other people in the future, and Curtis acknowledged that part of his job was to protect people in the state of Washington. ? Curtis said he wished he would have just paid the additional money to the suspect because he didn't wish the case to be prosecuted. If the incident became public, it could cost him his marriage and career."

Madsen, in his report, said Castagna told him that Curtis wouldn't say what he did for a living.

"I work to help people out," Curtis reportedly said, before adding, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Castagna said Curtis told him that "his wife knew he liked men when they got married, but she was not into that, so he only did that when he was out of town," the detective wrote in his report.

The entire incident might have never come to light if Curtis hadn't contacted Sgt. Roy Rhine of the Washington State Patrol. Rhine, who works out of the patrol's Southwest Washington office, is a fellow Republican who has run for the state Legislature.

According to Madsen's report, Curtis contacted a friend in the Washington State Patrol and wanted the agency to investigate "because the local police would talk and it would get out to the press." The WSP referred the case back to Spokane officials.

The police report and court filings say that Curtis met Castagna at a Hollywood Erotic Boutique store at about 12:45 a.m. Friday and later rendezvoused at Curtis' room at the Davenport Tower Hotel at about 3:35 a.m.

As part of their investigation, Spokane police have seized video recordings from the hotel and the sex shop, computerized records of when Curtis' hotel room door was opened and closed, and hotel records purportedly showing the rental of gay porn movies by someone in Curtis' room.

Castagna's MySpace.com Web page indicates that he is gay. A search for Castagna in court records turned up a number of cases in Spokane and King County on a variety of charges. Most cases were in juvenile court and involved charges of assault, theft, burglary and malicious mischief.

Court records showed that as an adult, Castagna pleaded guilty in 2001 to a forgery charge and was sentenced to two months in jail and 12 months in community custody.

Partovi said he called the press conference due to the severity of the charges being considered against his client.

"Extortion is a violent Class B felony. It starts with a serious jail sentence, and this guy (Castagna) didn't do anything wrong - at that level, anyway," Partovi said.

First online

This story was posted at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday at www.columbian.com

I'm sorry for quibbling about the small stuff, but things like this bother me for some strange reason. Wouldn't "red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top" qualify as "women's clothing?" Then why does the news story say that he had on women's clothing and these other things?

Hmm maybe it was the matter of poor punctuation? Possibly it shouldve been written as:

"Curtis allegedly donned women's clothing: red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top" .

It occurred to me this morning that probably when people say "women's clothing," they're usually talking about the outerwear.

OK, I'm now officially forgetting about this story. Except, of course, I'll keep in mind that any time a group of Republicans are gathering, it's better to stay away from the men's restroom.

Or any room. Frankly, these guys are getting totally out of control. It must be that Republican daddy-party thing that attracts them. "Daddy, stop having anal sex with me. It's Uncle Earl's turn now."