BUSTed Anti-Gay Lawmaker seen at Gay Club

Talk about a bad hangover. After GOP State Sen. Roy Ashburn's DUI arrest, rumors are swirling about his sexual orientation following a report that he allegedly visited a gay nightclub.

Ashburn, 55, a father of four, represents the 18th district, which includes Kern, Tulare and Inyo counties. According to reports, police pulled him and an unidentified male passenger over in Sacramento around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Ashburn's blood alcohol level was .14 percent, .06 percent above the legal limit, say authorities. He was arrested for drunken driving, booked and released; the man in the car with Ashburn was not arrested. The state-issued car Ashburn was driving at the time of his arrest has been impounded.

[Read the DA complaint against Ashburn, courtesy of KMJ News]

Ashburn issued this statement:

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me -- my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

But then CBS13 released this doozie: Its sources said Ashburn was at Faces, a gay bar in Sacto, just before cops busted him.

Faces officials could not confirm seeing Ashburn. A blogger for Talking Points Memo asked manager Laurie Bonifield about the alleged sighting the evening it held its "Miss Gay Latina Sacramento" contest. "Tuesday nights are a very, very huge Latin crowd. We don't see a lot of white guys here on a Tuesday night. A white guy would stick out like a sore thumb." CFO Mike Johnston said neither the managers nor staff saw him.

Noel Libang, an Ashburn spokesman, said: "We have no information about the accusations made."

The unsubstantiated report left some bloggers giddy. TMP announced Ashburn was "Entering the Larry Craig Pantheon," while Gawker dredged up "scandalous" photos. The allegation also left everyone wondering: Is Ashburn gay?

After hearing various rumors, The Bakersfield Californian attempted to ask Ashburn that very question -- once in 2004 and once last year -- according to columnist Lois Henry. Ashburn's answers were vague. You can read his response here. Meanwhile, West Sacto's openly gay mayor, Christopher Cabaldon, called him a hypocrite, claiming he has spotted Ashburn at gay clubs, including Badlands. Cabaldon blasted Ashburn in a message he posted to Facebook a few months ago: "It wouldn't bother me so bad to see Roy Ashburn at Badlands with a boy if he didn't have such a bad voting record on gay rights."

As Cabaldon suggests, Ashburn voting record on gay issues is less than stellar. The Bakersfield Californian reports he voted no an anti-discrimination bill, legislation on out-of-state same sex marriages, Harvey Milk Day, and a resolution declaring the Senate's opposition to Proposition 8. The Bakersfield Californian has more about his voting record.