"Not" rent boy Cody Castagna pleaded "not guilty" to extorting former Republican politico Richard Curtis.

A Spokane man has pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to extort money from a former state legislator after a night of sex.

Cody Castagna, 27, on Monday pleaded innocent to three counts of theft, two counts of extortion and one court of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque set a trial date of April 7.

Prosecutors contend in court documents that Castagna and three other men attempted to blackmail former Rep. Richard Curtis in October.

Curtis, a Republican from the southwest Washington town of LaCenter, said in police reports that he and Castagna had sex in a hotel room and that Castagna later took his wallet and threatened to expose him publicly if he did not pay $1,000.

Castagna just wanted his sex cash - is that a crime?! Oh, actually, yeah…

• Recently arrested hustler Cody Castagna's mug shot makes us wonder why Republican Richard Curtis would hire him in the first place.

• Zoe Leonard's 1992 "I Want A President" still resonates.

• Did Canada's New Democratic Party drop a lawyer for being trans?

• HX editor Brandon Voss talks gay with Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler for The Advocate. The gays apparently urged Chandler to try the theatrical arts. Figures…

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Things aren't looking good for former Republican politico Richard Curtis' rent boy, Cody Castagna:

Police issued arrest warrants Wednesday for four men accused of trying to extort money from a former state legislator who resigned his post after an affair with one of the accused became public.

Spokane County prosecutors contend in court documents that Cody Castagna and three others attempted to blackmail former Rep. Richard Curtis in October. Castagna turned himself in to authorities Wednesday night.
…
I'm not going to run, I have nothing to hide," Cody Castagna told KREM-TV as he arrived at the Spokane County Courthouse with his attorney and a bailbondsman.

[His attorney] told The Spokesman-Review newspaper he would fight the charges against his client, and that the money his client sought from Curtis was not "extortion money. It was prostitution money."

That's far more respectable, of course.

Curtis, meanwhile, faces no charges.

• A majority of American citizens support same-sex civil unions, according to ABC News, but not all opinions are created evenly:

Overall, 55 percent favor allowing homosexual couples to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them the same rights as married couples in areas such as health insurance, inheritance and pension coverage. That's up from 45 percent in an ABC/Post poll in 2006; the previous high was 51 percent in 2004.
…
On civil unions, support peaks among adults under age 30, and tanks among seniors. It's highest in the East and West, notably lower in the Midwest and South. Whites overall are more apt than blacks to support gay civil unions, and the idea wins more support among women (59 percent) than men (51 percent, and 47 percent among married men).

Interesting divide between single and married men, no?

• Reichen strips, fakes orgasm for Dante's Cove.

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• Moscow court comes out against gay pride organizers. Anti-gay parade ban legal.

• Rosie O'Donnell offers more MSNBC explanation, professes love for Keith Olbermann.

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Cody Castagna may have agreed to sleep with recently resigned Republican Richard Curtis for $1000, but the 26-year old held a press conference Friday to declare that he's no ho.

The purpose of the press conference was to refute claims that he had any links to convicted Spokane madam Cheryl Larson. Earlier in the week there had been claims that he was associated with Larson and surveillance footage from Northern Quest Casino, where Larson operated her service and laundered money from, reportedly showed Castagna meeting with Larson.

Castagna now says that information was erroneous and that the video shows him meeting with his mother, adding that he has neither worked for Larson nor has he ever met her.

He went on to say that his encounter with Curtis was the first time he has ever accepted money for sex and continued to say that he has never been a male escort.

Castagna certainly picked an inconvenient first john, huh? Meanwhile, Washington state police are still investigating Curtis' claim that Castagna attempted to extort hush money from the former politico. Castagna's lawyer, however, would not let him comment on that case. We wonder why…

MSNBC's Dan Abrams hosted Richard Curtis' boy toy Cody Castagna last night. Watch as the 26-year old strings together some words and sortof explains the scandalous sex scandal. Abrams rapidly moves on to Castagna's well-placed lawyer, who blames the "escalation" on Curtis' extortion lie.

After the boys are swept aside, Pat Buchanan to defend the Republican party's good, not-gay name…

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Things aren't looking good for Richard Curtis. The Columbian newspaper obtained a police report detailing the Republican's tryst with 26-year old Cody Castagna and, well, it's pretty damning:

The police report contains an account of how Curtis allegedly donned women’s clothing, red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top before engaging in a sex act at the store. He continued to wear them throughout the night under his clothing.

Classy!

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