Attorney Tom Kelly said Craig had decided against asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to void the conviction. The decision means the legal wrangling in the case is over.

“We’ve concluded that the Supreme Court would not accept this for review,” Kelly said. “It would be a futile exercise.”

Thursday was the 30-day deadline for Craig to ask the high court to review a Minnesota Court of Appeals decision that went against him. The Supreme Court typically grants only about 25 percent to 30 percent of those requests, according to court figures.

The Idaho Republican was arrested June 11, 2007, by an undercover police officer conducting a sting operation against men cruising for sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The senator quietly pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine, but changed his mind after word of his arrest later became public.

As his political career disintegrated, Craig insisted he was innocent and that he was not gay. He said the officer had misconstrued his foot-tapping actions in the airport bathroom.

Last month, the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected Craig’s bid to withdraw his guilty plea. It affirmed a lower court decision that his plea was “accurate, voluntary and intelligent” and that it was supported by the evidence.

Craig did not seek re-election in November for the seat he had held for 18 years. He was succeeded Tuesday by political veteran Jim Risch, a Republican former lieutenant governor, governor and state senator.

“We’re getting there,” said Patrick Hogan, director of public affairs for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “I think we’ll all be glad when there’s no special interest in that restroom.”

Craig was accused of soliciting sex in the bathroom in June 2007 and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in August 2007.

One person had offered to buy the restroom stall for $5,000, Hogan said, but airport officials “don’t sell fixtures for novelty purposes.”

Though tourist interest has withered, the surge of publicity from Craig’s arrest helped end the type of activity in the restroom that had prompted lewd-conduct complaints, he said.

Plans to modify the restroom to prevent occupants from passing signals were scrapped because complaints dropped.

“It is the busiest restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International,” Hogan told The Spokesman-Review. “It’s right in the middle of our main thoroughfare.”

Craig – who has maintained his innocence and heterosexuality – has said he only pleaded guilty to keep the embarrassing situation quiet. He attempted to withdraw his guilty plea but the Minnesota Court of Appeals earlier this month rejected the appeal.

Craig, who said he was considering another appeal, did not seek re-election in last month’s election for the seat he has held for 18 years.

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 in a men’s room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Sgt. Dave Karsnia said 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.

Nevertheless, he pleaded guilty and paid a fine.

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

Craig’s attorney argued before the appeals court this September that there was insufficient evidence for any judge to find him guilty. Prosecutors said his guilty plea should stand.

The three-judge panel upheld Porter’s ruling.

Craig’s attorneys have not said if they will request the decision be reviewed by the full appeals court or if they will take the case to the state Supreme Court.

Craig, 63, a social conservative, supported both attempts to advance a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and opposes adding sexuality to the groups covered under hate crime laws and to a bill protecting LGBT workers. 

Craig has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s, but allegations that he had engaged in gay sex had never before been substantiated. 

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 in January. Craig did not run for re-election.