Fed: Costello says he's never visited NY strip club

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2007
Fed: Costello says he's never visited NY strip club

CANBERRA, Aug 19 AAP - Treasurer Peter Costello has declined to criticise federal Labor
leader Kevin Rudd for visiting a strip club during an official trip to the United States.

Mr Rudd has admitted visiting a New York strip club during a drunken night while representing
Australia at the United Nations.

New York Post editor Col Allan and Northern Territory Labor MP Warren Snowdon accompanied
Mr Rudd to a Manhattan "gentlemen's club", Scores, in September 2003, News Ltd reported.

Mr Costello said he did not want to comment on the issue, saying it was a matter for Mr Rudd.

But he said he had not been to the strip club.

"No, I can honestly say that neither have I been there, nor has Col ever suggested
that to me," Mr Costello told the Ten Network today.

"I find when I'm in America on official business they pack your program pretty full.

I don't think that you get much time for that kind of activity."

Mr Rudd issued a statement to News Ltd yesterday, confirming he went to the club but
could not recall the events of the evening because he "had too much to drink".

"If my behaviour caused any offence to anybody whatsoever that evening I, of course,
wholeheartedly apologise," he said.

At the time, he was the shadow foreign affairs minister and travelled to New York at
taxpayers' expense.

AAP mfh/apm

KEYWORD: RUDD SCORES COSTELLO

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