State lawmaker resigns amid sex scandal Anti-gay-rights La Center legislator reveals homosexual tryst in complaint THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OLYMPIA -- A Republican state legislator who repeatedly voted against gay-rights measures resigned his seat Wednesday amid revelations he had sex with a man he met at an erotic video store while in Spokane on a GOP retreat.
In a written statement, Rep. Richard Curtis of La Center said that although he believes he's done a lot of good during his time in the Legislature, "events that have recently come to light have hurt a lot of people.
"I sincerely apologize for any pain my actions may have caused," he wrote. "This has been damaging to my family, and I don't want to subject them to any additional pain that might result from carrying out this matter under the scrutiny that comes with holding public office."
His resignation was delivered to Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday afternoon and takes effect immediately.
On Monday, Curtis had insisted to his local newspaper that he was not gay and that sex was not involved in what he said was an extortion attempt by a man last week.
But in police reports, Curtis said he was being extorted by a man he had sex with in a Spokane hotel room. The other man contends Curtis reneged on a promise to pay $1,000 for sex.
In a written statement, House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said that as more "troubling" details began to emerge, "it has become clear that he can no longer effectively represent the constituents who elected him."
DeBolt said he briefly spoke with Curtis on Monday, at which point Curtis told him he did nothing wrong.
"I understood it to be a different story than it turned out to be," DeBolt later said.
DeBolt said there was never any rumor about Curtis' alleged double life. He added that the caucus needs to find a replacement and "regain the trust of the district."
A Republican successor will be chosen by Clark and Cowlitz county Republican leaders and will serve until the 2008 election.
Numerous efforts to reach Curtis or his lawyer, John Wolfe, by phone were unsuccessful.
Curtis, 48, told Spokane police he was the victim of an extortion attempt by Cody Castagna at the posh Davenport Tower hotel on Friday, police search warrant documents said. Castagna, 26, of Medical Lake, near Spokane, told police that Curtis had agreed to pay him for sex, then reneged.
Curtis is married and has children, according to his legislative Web site. Elected to the state House in 2004, he voted in 2005 and 2006 against a bill that granted civil rights protections to gays and lesbians and in 2007 voted against a bill that created domestic partnerships for same-sex couples.
Curtis was in Spokane last week for a GOP retreat.
