Speaking of Al Gore…

Police: No comment about Gore interview

Portland police are not commenting on reports that detectives have interviewed former Vice President Al Gore about accusations that he molested a Portland masseuse in 2006.

Bureau spokesperson Det. Mary Wheat refused to confirm or deny reports that detectives interviewed Gore on Thursday. The National Enquirer, which first broke the story about the allegations, reports the interview took place in San Francisco. The tabloid did not cite any sources for the report or say what Gore supposedly told the detectives. Several blogs have repeated the claim.

“We do not comment on ongoing investigations,” Wheat told the Portland Tribune.

Wheat also declined to speculate about when the investigation will be completed. At the same time, she suggested it could be finished soon.

“The chief has said he wants it wrapped up quickly, and we have assigned the resources to the investigation to do so,” Wheat said.

Molly Hagerty claims Gore molested her in a downtown Portland hotel in October 2006. Several months after the alleged encounter, she had a lawyer contact the police on her behalf. She then canceled three interviews with the police. Her lawyer subsequently told the police Hagerty would pursue the case civilly.

Approximately three years later, Hagerty contacted the police herself. She read a lengthy statement about the incident to investigators during an interview. The bureau closed the investigation, however, in part because of a lack of evidence.