Aide: Craig had already planned to retire

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, had already decided to retire before becoming mired in a scandal about his arrest in an airport men’s room, a top aide said.

Gregory Casey, Craig’s former chief of staff, said Thursday Craig had discussed his future with his wife, Suzanne.

"He and Suzanne had decided that he had been in Congress long enough, and it was time for him to go home," Casey told CNN.

Craig announced Saturday at an appearance in Boise that he intended to resign Sept. 30. He had been under pressure since Roll Call revealed last week that he had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, after allegedly making a sexual advance to an undercover police officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

Since that announcement, Craig had made statements about fighting the charge against him that some interpreted as having second thoughts about resignation.

Craig Wednesday asked the Senate Ethics Committee to call off an investigation into his case, but the committee declined the request.