Packwood snub troubles critics
WASHINGTON (AP) ~
Son Bob Pack wood's Capitol
Hill confession Thursday ig
nored what critics say is one
of the most damaging allega
tions of misconduct — that
ho launched a campaign to dig up dirt on women
accusing him of sexual harassment
"It troubles me that Sen Packwood refuses to
discuss efforts made to discredit his accusers,"
said Rep.-elect Elizabeth Purse. D-Ore.
At least two women claim Packwood. his aides
and friends have engaged in a deliberate effort to
smear the characters of the women who have
come forward with stories about the Oregon Re
publican's unwelcome sexual advances
"1 am not going to discuss that issue at all,”
Packwood said during a news conference al the
Capitol.
”1 am not going to respond to any questions
about any efforts to characterize tho women,'' he
said
(Jinny Burdick, a spokeswoman for Oregonians
for Ethical Representation, said Thursday I er
group is following up on allegations that Pack
wood personally tried to discredit the accusers.
“That's the real slory now — the blatant raver
up, the smear campaign.” she said
Mabsie Walters, u former campaign volunteer
for Sen. Bob Packwood, said last week that Pack
wood telephoned her to try to gather potentially
damaging information about another woman who
hud accused the senator of sexual harassment
Walters, a former president of the Oregon chap
ter of the National Abortion Rights Action
League, said F’nckwood called her Nov. 9 to ask
questions about Mary Heffernan. who founded
the chapter
Heffernan is among Hi women who have ac
cused Packwood of making unwelcome sexual
advances during his 24-year Senate career She
said during a visit to his office in the early IDHOs.
Packwood grabbed her arms and kissed her
Another of Park wood's accusers. Julie William
son. has said one of Packwood s friends tele
phoned her last spring to warn that Williamson s
private life would be made public if she leveled
accusations at Packwood,
Williamson, who claims Packwood forcefully
kissed her and tried to pull her clothes off when
she was his aide in 1969. said she interpreted the
call to fa: an attempt to silence her
Williamson said from New York on Thursday
Packwood was lying when he told the Washing
ton Post in October that he did not ret ail any of
the incidents
"I know he was asked about the incident with
me over the years I know that he remembers the
incident because he immediately went out of the
Washington Post interview and told people to
send letters about me to the Post I think he'll do
anything to hang on to power.” she said
Hep. Ron Wydon. D-On:.. said Thursday that
the political playing fluid had changed now that
Packwood had admitted generlcallv to pressuring
the women with unwelcome advani cs
Woman sues police;
claims false arrest
PORTLAND (AP) — A Portland woman has sued polled,
claiming she* was falsely c harged with staging a hate crime
that her former roommate later admitted staging by herself.
Susan Soon, 45. also claimed In her lawsuit that Portland
police withheld a videotape that might prove her Innocent.
Her former roommate. A/a I on Cooley, has admitted staging
a series of hate crimes outside her home that drew wide
spread media attention Cooley publicly apologized for her
actions and said she was very sorry they had affected Soon.
Soon is seeking money damages for defamation and inflic
tion of emotional distress. Police have accused her of filing a
I'ulse report about someone burning a cross in hor yard
“The purpose of the lawsuit is to restore Miss Soon's good
name." one of her attorneys, Tom Steenson, said in a news
conference Wednesday, “She absolutely denies any wrong
doing. it's a false charge “
A police videotape is central to the lawsuit Sta n's attor
neys say the tape, from u hidden camera trained on Stain's
house, clearly implicates Cooley.
The two had lieen the subject of intense media and police
attention since May 5. when the southeast Portland home
they shared became the target of numerous hate crimes, in
cluding cross burnings anti racist graffiti.
Cooley, who is black and hat! led people to believe she was
confined lo a wheelchair, said she was this target of the hate
crimes. After a suicide attempt In parly November, she ad
mitted that she can walk and that she staged all of the hate
crimes without her roommate's knowledge
Rainy weather raises hopes for long-awaited end of drought
GRANTS PASS (AP) - High
winds that blow over trees and
power lines Thursday along the
southern Oregon Coast brought
heavy rains that raised hopes a
seven-year drought may be
ending.
By the time the storm crossed
the Cascade Range, the winds
had lessened and at Klamath
Falls the rain turned to snow,
just in time for the evening
Snowflake Festival parade.
"It's not over, but we re chip
ping away at this drought
thing." said Dave Williams, Na
tional Weather Service meteor
ologist at Klamath Falls.
(lusts of up to 110 mph were
reported iit Humbug Mountain
near Port Or ford, where US
Highway 101 was closed for
five hours It reopened by 5
a m . officials said.
Damage was limited despite
the high winds The most rain
full recorded was 3 Inches In 24
hours at Newport More than
one and a half inches of rain
were reported In the same peri
od at Gold Reach.
Storm drains couldn't keep
up with the pounding rain in
the Rogue Valley. Gars driving
in pre dawn darkness in Grants
Pass sent up rooster tails of
spray from big puddles Med
ford recorded .31 inches of rain
in 30 minutes.
"All things considered. it
sounds like we were pretty
Ini kv. ■'■nil ("oos County sher
iffs Ngt Ken Marlin, who spent
the night out In the storm
Oregon's main urban areas
were spared in the Willamette
Valley
Heavy snow was reported on
7.523-foot Mount Ashland,
where the ski season opened
with SI lift tickets to thank area
residents for their contributions
to buy the resort
On tins const, gusts up to 70
rnph ill H,union flipped a small
airplane at the airport and
knocked down trees and power
lines, said Marlin
"The power crews and road
crews cutting up trees were l>e
ing run ragged," he said
Hut most trees withstood the
storm because the rain didn't
arrive to soften up the ground
until alter the winds, he added
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