"Today was a major step in the legal effort to clear my name," Craig said in a statement. "The court has not issued a ruling on my motion to withdraw my guilty plea. For now, I will continue my work in the US Senate for Idaho."
Craig skipped the court hearing in Minnesota, a decision that his lawyer, Billy Martin, described as routine for such a session.
During the hearing, Martin acknowledged the difficulty in getting the plea withdrawn, saying it is "near impossible, and it should be." But he said Craig's conduct was not criminal.
Prosecutor Christopher Renz said the timing of Craig's decision to withdraw his guilty plea was political. Craig was arrested in a Minneapolis airport bathroom June 11, then entered his plea Aug. 8. Craig said he panicked in entering his plea.
"He sat and was able to think about it a thousand miles away at his apartment on the Potomac. He called me about it" and could have called others if he needed advice, Renz said.
Minnesota law allows guilty pleas to be withdrawn if a "manifest injustice" is shown.
Craig was arrested by an airport police officer who said Craig had behaved as though he was looking for sex.
Craig came under intense pressure to resign after news of his arrest and guilty plea surfaced in late August, and he announced within days that he planned to resign by Sept. 30. He later suggested that he might stay in office if he could overturn his plea.
His lawyers pursued a dual strategy, arguing that Craig's conduct was not criminal and that the state didn't handle the plea properly.
Martin said Craig maintains he did not intentionally touch airport police Sergeant Dave Karsnia, or said anything to him.
