PORTLAND, Ore. — Al Gore is speaking out after Portland police announced their decision to reopen an investigation into claims he sexually assaulted a massage therapist at a hotel four years ago.
"Further investigation into this matter will only benefit Mr. Gore," family spokesperson Kalee Kreider said Wednesday. "The Gores cannot comment on every defamatory, misleading and inaccurate story generated by tabloids. Mr. Gore unequivocally and emphatically denied this accusation when he first learned of its existence three years ago. He stands by that denial."
An Oregon masseuse, identified by Gawker as Molly Hagerty, 54, filed a complaint last year accusing Gore of sexual abuse during a massage session. Gore was in Portland to give a speech on climate change when the alleged incident took place on Oct. 24, 2006 at the upscale Hotel Lucia. The massage therapist claimed Gore started to moan during their session together and pushed her hand toward his pubic area. She said she fled after he attempted to have sex with her.
An attorney representing the masseuse first contacted authorities in late 2006, but she refused to allow an investigation. The case was reopened in January 2009 when she contacted police and provided them with a statement, but they found insufficient evidence to support her claims.
The woman said she didn't immediately contact police because she feared "being made into a public spectacle" and worried about the impact of the allegations on her reputation.
A Portland police spokeswoman previously told the Associated Press that the woman asked for a copy of her statement in June, telling them she planned to take her case to the media.
In May, Gore and his wife, Tipper, announced their separation after 40 years of marriage.
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