Masseuse claims Al Gore pestered her for sexual gratification

Washington, June 24 (ANI): In a controversial revelation, it has been claimed that authorities in Portland, Ore., had suppressed a masseuse's claim that she was sexually assaulted by former vice president and Nobel laureate Al Gore during his visit to the city.

Officials have revealed that the city's authorities investigated the case in late 2006 and early 2007, but the matter was eventually dropped for lack of evidence.

Initially, the woman, who alleged the assault through her lawyer, declined to be interviewed by police and did not want officers to pursue the matter, revealed the Multnomah County district attorney's office.

However, later, she reconsidered and met with Portland police detectives in January 2009, and told then that she "was repeatedly subjected to unwanted sexual touching."

But after the interview, the detectives concluded that they lacked enough evidence to proceed with an investigation, the police department said in a statement.

"At this point, the Police Bureau does not consider this an ongoing investigation unless new evidence is received in this case," the Washington Post quoted the department as saying.

Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider did not answerspecific questions about the matter.

When asked about it by the Portland Tribune in 2007 and 2008, Gore's attorneys strongly denied the claim, calling it "completely false."

In fact, the woman met with Portland detectives in January 2009 and restated the allegations in person, police said.

She said she had kept clothing from the incident as evidence and offered it to the detectives, who declined to take it. (ANI)