Police Cite 'Procedural Issues' in Reopening Al Gore Investigation
The police chief of Portland, Ore., said his department reopened an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by former Vice President Al Gore because there were "procedural issues" in the original investigation.
The case springs from allegations by a Portland massage therapist—denied by Mr. Gore—that he groped her during an October 2006 massage session in his Portland hotel room.
"In reviewing the case, we have determined there were procedural issues with the 2009 investigation that merit re-opening the case," chief Michael Reese said in statement issued Thursday.
Mr. Reese said there should have been a "a command-level review at the time on the specifics of this case and decisions on whether the investigation should go forward."
By command-level review, the police meant the matter should have been studied by top-ranking officials in the police department.
A police spokesman declined to elaborate on Mr. Reese's statement. The woman could not be reached for comment. A former lawyer that said he represented her, Randall Vogt, said he no longer does so. Mr. Vogt didn't return a call for comment.
On Wednesday, the police department had disclosed the decision to reopen the investigation, without providing any further explanation. The move came shortly after the National Enquirer, which wrote about the case last week, published additional allegations from the massage therapist.
The police department has said a lawyer for the massage therapist contacted the department in late 2006 about the incident and set up three interviews with police, but the lawyer canceled each interview. The masseuse contacted police again in January 2009 and was interviewed. Police said they didn't continue investigating because there was no evidence.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Gore on Wednesday said the former vice president strongly denies the charges. "Further investigation into this matter will only benefit Mr. Gore," said spokeswoman Kalee Kreider. On Thursday, she said, "We don't have anything to add."
In the statement Thursday, Mr. Reese noted that the decision to reopen the case was "solely made" by the police department. "It is our responsibility to both parties to conduct a thorough, fair and timely investigation," he said, asking for the public's patience as it conducts the inquiry and declines to discuss specifics during the process. "I have asked detectives to assign appropriate resources in the interest of conducting a complete investigation in an expedited manner."