Oregon governor denies he knew of sexual abuse

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Oregon governor denies he knew of sexual abuse
Kulongoski denounces paper's charges

By CHARLES E. BEGGS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SALEM, Ore. -- Gov. Ted Kulongoski yesterday vehemently denied allegations that he knew for at least 10 years that former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt had sexually abused a 14-year-old girl.

"I never heard anything about Neil and any underage girl" until Goldschmidt revealed his sexual misconduct last month, Kulongoski told The Associated Press.

It was Kulongoski's first direct comment on a report in The Oregonian on Sunday in which a former speechwriter to Goldschmidt said he and Kulongoski discussed Goldschmidt's misconduct numerous times in the 1990s.

Kulongoski described Fred Leonhardt as a disgruntled campaign aide who was upset when Kulongoski didn't hire him to be on his campaign staff in 2002.

Leonhardt stuck by his story last night, saying he told Kulongoski of the reports of Goldschmidt's misconduct as early as 1992.

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this will not help us in Oregon this year--it is already a tight state.