Police: Legislator target of extortion
SPOKANE - A Republican state legislator from Southwest Washington was the target of an extortion attempt by a man he met at an erotic-video store and later had sex with, according to police documents released Tuesday.
State Rep. Richard Curtis, of La Center, Clark County, who on Monday vehemently denied he was gay, was the victim of the reported extortion attempt by a man he brought to Spokane’s Davenport Tower hotel Friday, according to search-warrant documents.
The man told police Curtis agreed to pay him $1,000 for sex and also said Curtis purchased two gay pornographic films from the hotel for them to watch in his room.
Numerous efforts to reach Curtis were not successful Tuesday.
Curtis was among state GOP lawmakers in Spokane last Wednesday through Friday for a retreat to discuss the upcoming legislative session. He went to the Hollywood Erotic Boutique in Spokane on Friday and met a man, who accompanied him back to the hotel, the documents said.
The two arrived at the hotel around 3:34 a.m. and engaged in sexual activities, after which Curtis fell asleep, the documents said.
The man allegedly took Curtis’ wallet and later offered to return it for $1,000, the documents said. Curtis said he only had $200 and left the money at the hotel desk, the documents said.
The man told police Curtis gave him his wallet to hold as collateral for the remainder of the money.
The man called Curtis back and demanded $800. But Curtis had already contacted Spokane police, and a detective was present when the man called, the documents said.
The man, who appeared Tuesday at a Spokane news conference with his lawyer, said the lawmaker “has completely changed what actually happened and turned it around for his favor.”
The man told police and reporters that Curtis gave him his wallet to hold as collateral “for the money that he promised me.”
The lawyer refused to let his client tell reporters what he did for the money.
In his only public comments about the incident, Curtis told The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver, Wash., that he did not solicit anyone for sex and was not gay.
“I committed no crime,” Curtis told the newspaper. “I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out.”
Curtis, a former firefighter, said, “I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy.”
Police spokeswoman Jennifer DeRuwe said the evidence found by police would be given to the Spokane County prosecutor, who will decide if criminal charges are warranted.
There have been no arrests, she said.
Republican leaders have declined to comment, saying they had no information about what happened.
Curtis was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004.
His voting patterns suggest he is a fiscal and social conservative, and he has opposed gay-rights legislation.