NPR.org, October 4, 2007 · Idaho Sen. Larry Craig vows to remain in office for the duration of his term, despite a Minnesota judge's ruling Thursday that he would not be able to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting. "I will continue to serve Idaho in the United States Senate," Craig said in a written statement released after the ruling. "...As I continued to work for Idaho over the past three weeks here in the Senate, I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively."Craig's statement also indicated that he would continue his efforts to clear his name in the Senate Ethics Comittee, "something that is not possible if I am not serving in the Senate."
Thursday's ruling was a major setback to the Idaho senator's efforts to clear his name. "Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the Defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.