PORTLAND – A massage therapist accused former United States Vice-President Al Gore of “unwanted sexual contact” at an Oregon hotel during an October 2006 visit, but no charges were filed due to lack of evidence, law officials said yesterday.
A lawyer representing the woman contacted police in late 2006, said county District Attorney Michael Schrunk. Schrunk said the woman – who has not been identified – refused to be interviewed by detectives and did not want the investigation to proceed.
The woman, however, contacted police in January 2009 and gave a statement, saying Gore tried to have sex with her during an appointment at the upmarket downtown Hotel Lucia, hotel where Gore was reportedly registered as “Mr Stone”.
The National Enquirer reported the allegations yesterday, identifying the accuser as a 54-year-old woman. Gore family spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said the former Vice-President has no comment. Gore and his wife announced on June 1 they were separating.
A police report prepared in 2007 said the alleged incident happened at 2pm local time on October 24, 2006. Gore was in Portland to deliver a speech on climate change.
“This case is exceptionally cleared as [the woman] refuses to co-operate with the investigation or even report a crime,” the report states. The case was reopened in January 2009. Detectives interviewed the woman but determined there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations, Portland police said.
In a transcript of the interview released by the police, the massage therapist said she was doing requested abdominal work on Gore when he started to moan and demanded she go lower.
“I was shocked and I did not massage beyond what is considered a safe, nonsexual area of the abdomen. He further insisted and acted angry, becoming verbally sharp and loud.
“I went into much deeper shock as I realised it appeared he was demanding sexual favours or sexual behaviours.”
She said Gore grabbed her hand and shoved it toward his pubic area. She alleged he later tried to have sex with her and began caressing her before she squirmed out of his grasp. I did not immediately call the police as I feared being made into a public spectacle and my reputation being destroyed. I was not sure what to tell them and was concerned my story would not be believed since there was no DNA evidence from a completed act of rape. I did not even know what to call what had happened to me.”
Mary Wheat, a police spokes-woman, said the woman contacted detectives this month and asked for a copy of her statement.
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