Richard Curtis (politician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Curtis is an American politician
from La Center, Washington
. He served as a Republican
member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007. He represented the state's 18th legislative district in Clark
and Cowlitz
counties (map).
Curtis, who is married with two daughters, has built up a socially conservative voting record. In 2006, he opposed a gay rights bill that banned discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation. In spring of 2007, he voted against domestic partnership
s for gay and lesbian couples.
, met at an adult bookstore, and that they later had sex in a local hotel room. Curtis was also alleged to have been seen previously and on that occasion clad in women's clothing, wearing them underneath his own. According to the police statement from Curtis, Castagna attempted to extort $1,000 from Curtis after the encounter, in return for not revealing his "gay lifestyle" to his family. Based on this statement, Curtis brought formal extortion
charges against Castagna. Further investigation by the Spokane Police Department revealed the details of the incident. Castagna has denied all accusations of the extortion, which is a Class B felony
. A statement by his lawyer asserted, "This is an extremely low-level situation that's being blown out of proportion by somebody who is trying to save themselves." The lawyer stated further that "this guy (Castagna) didn't do anything wrong - at that level, anyway." Curtis first denied having had sex with the man, contradicting his own statements to police.
Curtis resigned from the Washington State House of Representatives on October 31, 2007. Upon his resignation he issued a statement:
, the Republican leadership in the state has now moved to attempt to control the damage of Curtis' resignation, issuing statements of their own. State House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt said he was "disappointed" and that Curtis "can no longer effectively represent the constituents who elected him."
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from La Center, Washington
La Center, Washington
La Center is a town in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,800 at the 2010 census. The city is home to four card rooms / casinos which allow gambling on card games and poker, but not slots...
. He served as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007. He represented the state's 18th legislative district in Clark
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
and Cowlitz
Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census its population was 102,410. It forms the Longview, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. The county seat is at Kelso, and its largest city is Longview...
counties (map).
Election and voting record
A former La Center City Councilman, Curtis was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2004. He faced no primary opposition and won the general election with 56.5% of the vote. He took office in January 2005 and was re-elected in 2006, winning 59% to his opponent's 41%.Curtis, who is married with two daughters, has built up a socially conservative voting record. In 2006, he opposed a gay rights bill that banned discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
on the basis of sexual orientation. In spring of 2007, he voted against domestic partnership
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
s for gay and lesbian couples.
Sex scandal and subsequent resignation
On October 30, 2007, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported that Curtis and a 26-year-old man named Cody Castagna, who previously had posed for gay pornographyGay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
, met at an adult bookstore, and that they later had sex in a local hotel room. Curtis was also alleged to have been seen previously and on that occasion clad in women's clothing, wearing them underneath his own. According to the police statement from Curtis, Castagna attempted to extort $1,000 from Curtis after the encounter, in return for not revealing his "gay lifestyle" to his family. Based on this statement, Curtis brought formal extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
charges against Castagna. Further investigation by the Spokane Police Department revealed the details of the incident. Castagna has denied all accusations of the extortion, which is a Class B felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
. A statement by his lawyer asserted, "This is an extremely low-level situation that's being blown out of proportion by somebody who is trying to save themselves." The lawyer stated further that "this guy (Castagna) didn't do anything wrong - at that level, anyway." Curtis first denied having had sex with the man, contradicting his own statements to police.
Curtis resigned from the Washington State House of Representatives on October 31, 2007. Upon his resignation he issued a statement:
Today I submitted my letter of resignation to Governor Gregoire effective immediately. While I believe we've done some good and helped a lot of people during the time I served 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. 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.According to analysis by The Olympian
The Olympian
The Olympian is a McClatchy newspaper in Olympia, Washington, in the United States.-History:The Olympian started in 1860 as "The Washington Standard" a weekly paper. Daily papers did not start until February 1889. The Olympian started daily service as a way to lead the crusade to make Olympia the...
, the Republican leadership in the state has now moved to attempt to control the damage of Curtis' resignation, issuing statements of their own. State House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt said he was "disappointed" and that Curtis "can no longer effectively represent the constituents who elected him."