“[NY State Assemblyman Adam Clayton] Powell Says Lie Detector Clears Him of Rape”

New York Newsday staff writer Brian Boyd reports:

Assemb. Adam Clayton Powell IV Wednesday sought to knock down the latest rape allegation against him by saying results from a lie-detector test he took prove he did not force the woman to have sex.

Powell, a Harlem Democrat, contends he and the woman, whose name has not been released, had consensual sex on July 1, and he denies any coercion.

The polygraph recordings show “indications of truthfulness,” according to the summary released by Powell’s lawyer.

“For the last two months, I have been the victim of vicious, outrageous allegations against me,” Powell said at a news conference outside City Hall.

Powell said he felt compelled to take the tests “because these allegations can take on a life of their own.”

“These allegations unfortunately have landed people in a court of law and unfortunately have landed some innocent people in jail,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that we at least put a stop to these allegations as soon as we can.”

A copy of the lie-detector report was sent to the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said his lawyer, Murray Richman.

Prosecutors had no comment on the matter.

“We never confirm nor deny investigations,” spokeswoman Sherry Hunter said.

The accusation that he raped the woman in a West Side apartment July 1 followed an allegation he raped a 19-year-old legislative aide in a suburban Albany motel.

During the polygraph tests, Powell was not asked about the earlier alleged incident because the woman recanted her story, Richman said.

Powell took the test Friday and retook it Tuesday to make sure it was reliable, according to the summary by Manhattan-based Scientific Lie Detection Inc., which conducted the tests.

Powell would not elaborate on his version of events on July 1 during the news conference, citing privacy. He also dismissed questions about whether he used poor judgment.

“I don’t know what you call poor judgment,” he said. “Again, I was a victim of false allegations.”

Because of attorney-client privilege, a lawyer can have his client sit for as many polygraph “tests” as it takes until he/she “passes” one, and then publicly announce the good news, while keeping any “failures” secret. New York Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV’s polygraph examination has no evidentiary value.

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