(Washington) Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), fighting to have his guilty plea in a gay sex sting overturned, wants help paying his legal bills.

Craig has formed the Fund for Justice, according to papers filed with the Senate’s Office of Public Records. This came after the Senate Ethics Committee in February chided Craig for spending $213,000 in campaign funds to pay legal and public-relations fees without the panel’s approval.

Craig, a three-term Republican from Idaho, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in August 2007 after he was accused of soliciting sex from an undercover police officer at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Sgt. Dave Karsnia reported that Craig tapped his feet and swiped his hand under a stall divider in a way that signaled he wanted sex. Craig has denied that, saying his actions were misconstrued.

After his arrest and guilty plea became public, Craig held a news conference to say he is not gay and that he pleaded guilty only to avoid the scandal of a trial.

Since then, Craig has been fighting to withdraw the plea.

County District Judge Charles Porter refused, saying Craig’s plea “was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and … supported by the evidence.”

Craig appealed that ruling to the Minnesota Court of Appeals which heard arguments earlier this month.

His attorney told the court that Craig wants to correct a “manifest injustice” and that against the senator failed to show he had participated in any criminal conduct.

Prosecutors maintained that Craig’s plea was entered voluntarily. The court has yet to issue a ruling.

Craig has a long history of voting against every LGBT issue that came before the Senate and of supporting two attempts to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban gays from marrying.

As publicity mounted, Craig first promised that he would resign last Sept. 30, then reversed his decision saying he would stay in office until his term expires next January. Craig says he is not running for re-election.