|
Flip flop schwarzenegger opposes groping probe { December 9 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3965957http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3965957
In Flip Flop, Schwarzenegger Opposes Groping Probe
Tue December 9, 2003 06:40 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger changed his position again on Tuesday and said he would not investigate allegations that he had sexually harassed women over a long period.
"There is no investigation," he told CNN, saying he would concentrate instead on his new job as governor.
"I've been here for 35 years in this country and I have never had any complaints filed against me nor any complaints made to me," he said. "It was rather odd, I would say, that just a few days before the election that all of a sudden there was 16 (women) that had, you know, complaints."
The groping charges spanning a long period dogged the final days of the recall campaign that elected the action hero governor on October 7.
Before the election, Schwarzenegger said he would allow a probe of the allegations that he had sexually harassed women, then called the issue "old news" after the election. When State Attorney General Bill Lockyer last month urged the former actor to deal with the allegations, Schwarzenegger pledged to hire private investigators to look into the matter.
Asked whether he had broken his promise to investigate the charges, Schwarzenegger said: "I meant much more from me that I wanted to look into it myself, so that doesn't mean that I won't do that, but I mean the bottom line right now is that I am focusing on this and there is no investigation."
In the CNN interview, Schwarzenegger repeated previous apologies to anyone he offended by his behavior.
Although he has an on-screen reputation as a resolute man of action, Schwarzenegger has often gone back and forth in making difficult decisions.
He confused his own closest advisors by not deciding until the last minute on whether to run for governor this summer, and Hollywood insiders say he often dragged out decisions on whether to accept acting offers.
Although the groping issue has long since fallen from the front pages, Schwarzenegger is still dealing with the aftermath.
Just on Monday, one woman who accused him of groping her on a movie set sued, saying the action star and his campaign staff smeared her wrongly as a convicted felon when she went public with her claims. Schwarzenegger said on Tuesday that he was not familiar with the case.
© Reuters 2003. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
