Sen. Bob Packwood has contacted employees, former staffers and an ex-congressman in an attempt to discredit those accusing him of sexual misconduct, according to a published report.
Packwood also included alleged details of some of his accusers' sex lives in some of his eight statements on the matter that he submitted to The Washington Post, The Sunday Oregonian reported.Packwood personally collected the details after Post reporters told him last fall that they were preparing a story about his alleged advances toward the women, The Oregonian said. The Post since has reported allegations from 23 women that the senator made unwanted sexual advances toward them.
Packwood's lawyer, James Fitzpatrick, said the material that was sent to The Post covered the "possible political motivation of certain of the senator's accusers, professional demeanor, credibility and other information."
The Oregonian also said a man who once had a close relationship with one of Packwood's accusers offered to write a letter about his involvement with her.
The man, Timothy Lee, owns a freight brokerage business and was in charge of a campaign fund-raiser President Bush held in Portland for Packwood last year.
Lee said only that he was outraged that the woman would make allegations against the Oregon Republican.
Former Rep. John Miller, R-Wash., who was still in office at the time, got a call from Packwood asking about a woman they both knew on Capitol Hill, The Oregonian said. The newspaper quoted a source as saying Miller was angry about Packwood's request and refused to cooperate. Miller declined to comment.
Portland lawyer Mark Long also refused to cooperate, the paper said. Packwood asked Long if one of the accusers had ever made advances toward him, the newspaper said. Long also declined to comment on the report.
None of the statements dealt specifically with the incidents mentioned by Packwood's accusers, The Washington Post said. The Post has not published any of the information in the statements.