Portland, Oregon police have now re-opened the case involving claims by a masseuse that Al Gore sexually assaulted her in 2006. Gore denies the claims. INSIDE EDITION has the latest.
A shocking new development in the allegations being made against Al Gore.
Police in Portland have announced they're re-opening the investigation into a masseuse's claim that Gore sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in 2006.
"The Portland police bureau has made the decision to re-open the case regarding the allegations brought forward against Mr. Al Gore," a statement on the police website says.
Police dropped the case in 2009, saying there was "insufficient evidence."
But after 54-year-old masseuse Molly Hagerty went to the National Enquirer with her allegations against the former Vice President, the story has now caught fire, although many people remain skeptical about her claims.
"They've already twice looked at this case, in 2006 and 2009, and said there's no evidence here," Elizabeth Vargas said on Good Morning America.
Gore is also breaking his silence after a full week of no comments.
"Further investigation into this matter will only benefit Mr. Gore," said his spokeswoman. "The Gores cannot comment on every defamatory, misleading, and inaccurate story generated by tabloids. Mr. Gore unequivocally and emphatically denied this accusation when he first learned of its existence three years ago. He stands by that denial," said Kalee Kreider, Gore family spokeswoman
In Hagerty's statement, she said, "I knocked on the door. Al Gore opened the door and I introduced myself. He answered, 'Call me Al' with a big smile as he stretched out his arms to wrap me into an embrace." Hagerty, a licensed massage therapist, read a written statement to police in 2009, 26 months after she said Gore groped her during a massage in a suite like this at the Hotel Lucia.
Hagerty also said in her statement, "He had a dramatic display of violent temper as well as extremely dictatorial commanding attitude besides his Mr. Smiley global warming concern persona. I did not want to get hurt and I did not want to get raped."
Hagerty showed the National Enquirer what could be a smoking gun, a pair of her pants she says contain Gore's DNA from that night that she has kept in a safe deposit box ever since.
