Taxpayers subsidized former lawmaker's scandalous trip

OLYMPIA — Taxpayers shelled out about $800 for a trip to Spokane that spawned a sex scandal and the resignation of a state lawmaker.

State records show the House of Representatives paid $802.23 for former Rep. Richard Curtis' mileage, hotel stay and daily expenses during an Oct. 24-26 Republican legislative planning retreat in Spokane.

As that retreat was winding down, Curtis, R-La Center, called police to complain he was being blackmailed by a man after the two had sex in Curtis' room at the Davenport Tower hotel, police reports say.

Curtis, who is married and has children, resigned his office soon after details of his tryst became public. After stepping down, Curtis told The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver that he was "not the criminal here."

Curtis, 48, told Spokane police he was the victim of an extortion attempt by Cody Castagna at the Davenport Tower hotel on Oct. 26, police records said. Castagna, 26, of Medical Lake, Spokane County, told police that Curtis had reneged on a promise to pay him $1,000 for unprotected sex.

Curtis denied offering to pay Castagna for sex, but acknowledged giving him $100 for "gas money," police reports said.

Taxpayers paid a standard rate of $77 per night for Curtis' two-night stay at the hotel. Curtis also collected a $100 daily expense allowance for each of his three days in Spokane, and was reimbursed $348.23 for driving from La Center to Spokane and back.

Curtis' expense request was stamped received by House officials on Oct. 26, the same day he reported the early morning tryst with Castagna to police. In signing the form, Curtis promised he was claiming "necessary expenses."

On Friday, House Chief Clerk Barbara Baker said she briefly considered denying Curtis' request, but found no justification to do so.

"I thought about it. I didn't think about it very long, though, because he was on company business," Baker said. "He attended all of the meetings he needed to attend while he was there."

"The activity that got him into trouble occurred on his own time, late at night, and didn't involve any legislative staff or other members," she added.

The Olympian newspaper first reported that Curtis was seeking reimbursement for the Spokane retreat.

Meanwhile, another House Republican recently admonished by caucus leaders has not submitted expense requests for the trip that got him in trouble, House officials said.

Rep. Jim Dunn, R-Vancouver, was stripped of his committee assignments and had his travel reimbursements restricted Nov. 5, after complaints that he made sexually inappropriate remarks to a woman staffer.

Dunn has acknowledged making an inappropriate remark to the woman as lawmakers and staff were having drinks after a mid-October House committee meeting in Kennewick. He hasn't asked for reimbursements for that trip, House accountants said Friday.